Simultaneous Vaccine Administration

A question we receive frequently is “Is it safe to get multiple vaccines all on the same day?” The answer is YES. Data shows that giving simultaneous or multiple vaccines on the same day does not impair antibody responses or increase rates of adverse reactions.

When traveling to developing countries, exposure to multiple vaccine preventable diseases may be imminent and therefore require multiple vaccines. There are two practical advantages to giving those at one appointment:

1. We want you to be immunized against all of the diseases that you are at risk for and make sure there is enough time (usually 2 weeks) for complete antibody response for the trip.
2. This helps save time with less office visits.

Another aspect to consider when getting multiple vaccines is that the immune response to “live vaccines” (like Yellow Fever, MMR, and Varicella) and the results of a TB skin test may be impaired if they are not received on the same day. If you don’t get all live vaccines or a TB test on the same day, you will have to wait at least 28 days before you can resume administration of the vaccines. Live vaccines and inactivated vaccines do not have any interactions, whether given on the same day or different days.

Receiving appropriate vaccines before your trip will prevent you from unnecessary illnesses and help keep you happy & healthy on your trip, and that is our goal is assisting your travel health!

Written by: Tammy Houge, R.N., B.S.N.
For more information, see the CDC website