title: Travellers' profile, travel patterns and vaccine practices--a 10-year prospective study in a Swiss Travel Clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The travel clinic in Lausanne serves a catchment area of 700 000 of inhabitants and provides pre- and post-travel consultations. This study describes the profile of attendees before departure, their travel patterns and the travel clinic practices in terms of vaccination over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included all pre-travel first consultation data recorded between November 2002 and December 2012 by a custom-made program DIAMM/G. We analysed client profiles, travel characteristics and vaccinations prescribed over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five thousand and forty-six client-trips were recorded. Fifty-one percent clients were female. Mean age was 32 years. In total, 0.1% were aged <1 year and 0.2% ≥80 years. Forty-six percent of travellers had pre-existing medical conditions. Forty-six percent were travelling to Africa, 35% to Asia, 20% to Latin America and 1% (each) to Oceania and Europe; 19% visited more than one country. India was the most common destination (9.6% of travellers) followed by Thailand (8.6%) and Kenya (6.4%). Seventy-three percent of travellers were planning to travel for ≤ 4 weeks. The main reasons for travel were tourism (75%) and visiting friends and relatives (18%). Sixteen percent were backpackers. Pre-travel advice were sought a median of 29 days before departure. Ninety-nine percent received vaccine(s). The most frequently administered vaccines were hepatitis A (53%), tetanus-diphtheria (46%), yellow fever (39%), poliomyelitis (38%) and typhoid fever (30%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The profile of travel clinic attendees was younger than the general Swiss population. A significant proportion of travellers received vaccinations that are recommended in the routine national programme. These findings highlight the important role of travel clinics to (i) take care of an age group that has little contact with general practitioners and (ii) update vaccination status. The most commonly prescribed travel-related vaccines were for hepatitis A and yellow fever. The question remains to know whether clients do attend travel clinics because of compulsory vaccinations or because of real travel health concern or both.
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland, rimboubaker@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boubaker
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pierrette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meige
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mialet
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chantal Ngarambe
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Buffat
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mediatrice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uwanyiligira
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Widmer
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jacynthe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annie Hérard
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Manisinh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souvannaraj-Blanchant
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Payot
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland, Infectious Disease Service, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland and.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Vallière
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland, Infectious Disease Service, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland and Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Genton
authors.affiliation: Travel Clinic, Department of Ambulatory care and Community Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Acremont
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland; D013785:Thailand; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057236:Travel Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines
keywords: Travellers profile; guidelines; travel patterns; vaccination