Sanofi-Pasteur launches travel vaccines website

Sanofi-Pasteur has announced the launch of an online resource for travellers to offer information regarding travel-related infectious diseases and available immunisation programmes to protect holidaymakers.

Noting that fewer than ten percent of travellers research the potential health risks involved in their travel plans at present, the site aims to broaden access to information concerning travel-related infectious diseases.

The vaccines segment of Sanofi-Aventis offers vaccinations to protect against a range of diseases, some of which are experienced by travellers overseas, including cholera, diphtheria, meningococcal disease, tetanus and others.

The company reports that over 40 per cent of worldwide travellers experience some type of health problem on their travels, the bulk of which is accounted for by gastrointestinal symptoms.

“Aside of diarrhoea, travellers may suffer from more serious diseases that could be prevented by vaccination such as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, or hepatitis A,” Sanofi-Pasteur states.

It adds that receiving vaccinations prior to travel can protect those heading abroad from contracting these potentially incapacitating illnesses, with its new website offering information on the available protection for an ever-increasing number of travellers worldwide.

In September 2006, Sanofi-Pasteur announced the initiation of a clinical trial investigating seasonal influenza vaccines manufactured using cell-culture technology, with this expertise in-licensed from Dutch biotechnology firm Crucell.