Typhoid and Hepatitis A: Food and Water Vaccines for Travellers in Brampton

When Brampton travellers sit down for a travel consultation, two names come up again and again: hepatitis A and typhoid. Both infections spread through contaminated food and water, both are more common in regions with limited sanitation, and both have vaccines that are frequently discussed for trips to South Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of the Middle East.

Because they often come as a pair in conversation, people sometimes assume they are the same thing or that one vaccine covers both. They are different illnesses with different vaccines, and the decision about each depends on your destination, length of stay, activities and health.

This article explains what each illness is, what vaccination involves, and how to plan. At Wellness Point Pharmacy, 115 Dufay Road, the Travel Health Clinic provides consultations covering both hepatitis A prevention and typhoid fever prevention.

Hepatitis A in brief

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. It is spread mainly through the faecal-oral route, which means the virus passes from an infected person’s stool into food, water or onto hands, and then into another person’s mouth. It can also spread through close contact within households.

Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). Young children often have mild or no symptoms, while adults are more likely to become noticeably ill, sometimes for weeks. Most people recover fully, but recovery can be slow, and older adults or people with existing liver disease can become seriously unwell.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A beyond supportive care. Prevention through vaccination and hygiene is the main strategy.

Typhoid fever in brief

Typhoid fever is caused by bacteria called Salmonella Typhi. Like hepatitis A, it spreads through food and water contaminated with faeces from an infected person. It is particularly common in parts of South Asia, and also occurs in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Symptoms typically include prolonged high fever, weakness, headache, abdominal pain, and either constipation or diarrhea. Without treatment, typhoid can lead to serious complications. It is treated with antibiotics, but drug-resistant strains have become a growing concern in some regions, which makes prevention even more important.

A related illness, paratyphoid fever, causes similar symptoms. Typhoid vaccines do not reliably protect against paratyphoid, so food and water precautions remain essential even after vaccination.

Why family visits deserve special attention

Travellers visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin are often at higher risk of both infections. Longer stays, home-cooked meals, rural travel and a sense of familiarity can all increase exposure. Children born in Canada who are visiting a parent’s home country for the first time have no previous exposure.

If you are planning a trip home to see family, do not skip the consultation because you grew up there or because you did not get sick last time. Our article on visiting family abroad covers this in more detail.

Hepatitis A vaccine: what to expect

Hepatitis A vaccine is given as an injection. A first dose provides good protection for most healthy people within a few weeks, and a second dose given later offers long-lasting protection. This means even travellers leaving relatively soon can often benefit from starting the series.

Some people already have immunity, either from a previous infection or earlier vaccination. If you have records of past vaccination, bring them. The pharmacist may also discuss whether checking for existing immunity makes sense for you, depending on your history.

Combination vaccines that protect against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B are also available. They follow a different schedule, so if hepatitis B is also relevant to your trip or your life, ask about combined hepatitis A and B protection.

Typhoid vaccine: what to expect

There are two main types of typhoid vaccine in Canada: an injectable vaccine and an oral vaccine taken as capsules over several days. They differ in how they are taken, how long protection lasts, and who can use them. For example, the oral vaccine is a live vaccine and is not suitable for some people with weakened immune systems, and it can be affected by certain antibiotics. The injectable vaccine has its own age considerations.

The pharmacist will help you choose the option that suits your health, your timeline and your preferences. If you choose the oral vaccine, follow the directions exactly, including how to store the capsules and when to take them in relation to food. Typhoid vaccines do not provide complete protection, so they work alongside careful eating and drinking habits rather than replacing them.

Food and water precautions still matter

Vaccines reduce risk but do not remove it, and they do not protect against the many other infections spread by food and water. The core habits remain the same:

• drink bottled, boiled or treated water, and use it for brushing teeth where needed
• avoid ice unless you know it was made with safe water
• choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot
• peel fruit yourself and be cautious with raw salads
• wash your hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet, or use hand sanitizer
• be careful with unpasteurised dairy

These habits also help protect against travellers’ diarrhea, which is far more common than either typhoid or hepatitis A. The pharmacy’s travellers’ diarrhea prevention service covers that topic in more depth.

Protecting the people around you

Travel vaccines are usually framed as personal protection, but hepatitis A and typhoid both have a household dimension. Someone who becomes infected abroad can pass hepatitis A to family members after returning home, particularly in busy households where meals are shared and young children are cared for by several adults. Typhoid can also be passed on, and a small number of people continue to carry the bacteria after they recover.

This is one reason careful handwashing matters so much, both during the trip and after you come back. It is also why a pharmacist may ask who else lives with you, or who you will be staying with abroad. If you prepare food for others, work in child care, or care for older relatives, mention it. Some workplaces, such as food service, have specific rules about returning to work after certain infections, so early medical assessment of any illness after travel protects your livelihood as well as your family.

When several members of a household are travelling together, plan their consultations together too. It is much easier to coordinate doses, records and reminders for the whole family at once.

Timing and planning

Ideally, see a travel health provider about six weeks before departure, as the Public Health Agency of Canada suggests in its travel health planning advice. That gives time to start any vaccine series, choose between vaccine types, and complete an oral vaccine course before you leave.

If you have less time, book anyway. Both hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines may still offer worthwhile protection when given closer to departure, depending on the product, and the pharmacist can advise what is realistic.

When booking, ask what the consultation includes and whether there are fees for the visit or the vaccines. Travel vaccines are often not publicly funded, though some private insurance plans reimburse them.

Common questions

Do I need these vaccines for a resort holiday? Possibly. Even all-inclusive resorts are not risk-free, and excursions often involve local food. The pharmacist will consider your actual plans.

I had hepatitis A vaccine years ago. Am I still protected? If you completed the full series, protection is generally long-lasting. If you only had one dose, ask whether a second dose is recommended.

Can I get both vaccines on the same day? Often yes, but the pharmacist will confirm based on your situation and any other vaccines you need.

Are these vaccines safe in pregnancy? This needs individual assessment. Tell the pharmacist if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

After you return home

If you develop fever, jaundice, persistent abdominal pain or diarrhea after returning to Brampton, see a health care provider and tell them where you have travelled. Typhoid and hepatitis A can both appear after you get home. Prompt assessment helps, and it protects your household too. Hepatitis A in particular can take several weeks to show symptoms, so mention your trip even if you have been home for a while. Keep a note of the countries and dates of travel with your vaccine records so the information is easy to share.

Book your travel vaccine consultation at Wellness Point

Hepatitis A and typhoid are two of the most practical vaccines to discuss before many international trips. A consultation will help you understand which, if any, are right for you, and how to fit them into your travel timeline.

Reach Wellness Point Pharmacy at 115 Dufay Road, Brampton, ON L7A 0B5 by calling (905) 843-7155. Our contact page has store details, and you can request an appointment on the booking page or through the Travel Health Clinic booking page. Have your itinerary and any previous vaccine records ready.

This article provides general travel health information. Vaccine choices depend on your destination, health and history, so please consult a pharmacist or other travel health provider.