Vaccines for international business travel: a guide for companies

On international business trips, traveler health often makes it onto the preparation list too late. Passports, visas and tickets are sorted out well in advance, but the vaccine required by the destination country or the daily medication that runs out mid-trip becomes a problem exactly when there is no time left to fix it.

At ArrowTur, which has been organizing corporate travel since 1989, we see that the most common health setbacks can be avoided with a little planning. This guide covers what to check about vaccines, certificates and care before, during and after the trip, and which decisions belong to the company. It is written from the perspective of travelers departing from Brazil.

Start with a medical appointment, not the vaccine

Vaccine requirements and recommendations change depending on the country, the region visited, the time of year and even the flight’s stopovers. That is why the first step is an appointment with a doctor, ideally one experienced in travel medicine, four to six weeks before departure. Some vaccines require more than one dose or a few days to take effect.

Bring the full itinerary to the appointment, with cities, dates and the type of activity. An office meeting in a capital city carries different risks from a technical visit to a construction site, a mine or a rural area. The doctor will also consider the traveler’s history, chronic conditions and the vaccines already up to date.

Yellow fever and the International Certificate of Vaccination

Yellow fever is the vaccine that most often appears as an entry requirement for people leaving Brazil. Some countries ask for proof from travelers arriving from areas at risk of the disease, and Brazil is on that list. The internationally accepted document is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, known in Brazil as CIVP.

• How to get it: in Brazil, the CIVP is issued digitally through the Meu SUS Digital app or website (the Brazilian public health system’s digital service), using a gov.br account, once the vaccine is recorded in the system. If the certificate does not show up, it can be requested through gov.br itself. The steps are on the official gov.br service page (in Portuguese).
• Timing: under international health rules, the yellow fever certificate only becomes valid 10 days after the first vaccination. Anyone who has never had the vaccine needs to plan ahead.
• Check the destination and stopovers: the requirement depends on the country and, in some cases, on where the traveler is arriving from. Confirm on the website of the consulate or health authority of the destination before the trip.

A regular paper vaccination booklet does not replace the CIVP at the border. Carry the printed certificate and a digital copy on your phone.

Other vaccines and precautions by region

Beyond entry requirements, some vaccines are recommended depending on the destination, such as hepatitis A and B, typhoid, measles and influenza, along with specific precautions against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. Only a doctor can say what makes sense for each traveler and each itinerary.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health publishes general guidance on its traveler’s health page (in Portuguese). For specific entry rules, the most reliable source is always the destination country.

Medication in your luggage

Travelers on ongoing treatment need special attention, especially on long trips or with a large time difference.

• bring enough medication for the whole trip plus a few extra days, in your carry-on, in the original packaging;
• carry the prescription, ideally listing the active ingredient, with an English version;
• some medications controlled in Brazil are also controlled or banned in other countries; check with the consulate beforehand;
• agree with your doctor on how to adjust dosing times to the new time zone.

The company’s role: policy and duty of care

Traveler health is part of the company’s duty of care. A few simple practices keep the process organized:

• Lead time in the travel policy: international trips to destinations with health requirements should be requested early enough to allow for a medical appointment and vaccination.
• Checklist in the travel request: the approver confirms that the traveler already has the required certificates.
• Travel insurance: check that the policy covers the destination, pre-existing conditions when relevant, and repatriation.
• Privacy: health information is sensitive personal data under Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD). The company should request only what is needed for the trip and store it with restricted access.

During and after the trip

At the destination, basic care with water, food and mosquito bites prevents most problems. The traveler should keep the travel insurance phone numbers at hand and know where the nearest reference hospital to the hotel is.

Back home, fever, persistent diarrhea or other symptoms in the following weeks call for a medical visit, telling the doctor where the person traveled. That information changes the diagnosis.

International travel vaccines with ArrowTur

ArrowTur does not replace medical advice, but we help the company make sure no step is forgotten: during planning, we flag when the destination or the stopovers usually require a vaccination certificate, suggest the right lead time for issuing tickets, include travel insurance suited to the itinerary and support the traveler Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Brasília time), with an emergency on-call service outside those hours. Learn more about our corporate travel management.

To talk to our sales team, call +55 11 5189-4120, message us on WhatsApp or visit our Contact us page.

Read also: Corporate travel insurance: what it covers and when it’s required.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I get the yellow fever vaccine?

The certificate is only valid 10 days after the first vaccination. In practice, see a doctor four to six weeks before the trip to leave some margin.

How do I get the International Certificate of Vaccination in Brazil?

Through the Meu SUS Digital app or website, with a gov.br account. If the certificate does not appear, request it through the official gov.br service.

Can the company require an employee to be vaccinated?

The company can make the trip conditional on the destination country’s requirements. For specific employment-law questions, consult the company’s legal team or occupational physician.