What should you actually check before travelling abroad, vaccine-wise?

Start six to eight weeks ahead, because several vaccines need multiple doses or time to take effect. Requirements split into three buckets: mandatory ones for entry, such as yellow fever for parts of Africa and South America; recommended ones for the destination, commonly hepatitis A, typhoid, and sometimes Japanese encephalitis or rabies pre-exposure; and your routine adult vaccines being up to date. Malaria prophylaxis is prescription-based and depends on the specific region, not just the country. A travel clinic consult is worth the fee for anything beyond a routine trip.