Depending on the region you will be traveling, you should prepare your body to face the foreign diseases you have no natural immunity. Some vaccines and immunizations can be expensive, as many are not covered by insurance. But, if you come down with Yellow Fever, you’re going to wish you had splurged for the treatment.

On one of my first trips, I decided to visit my doctor the days before I left. Bad idea. I was able to get my Malaria pills squared away, but they didn’t have Typhoid available. I left on my trip and ended up being fine, but my doctor was able to scare me enough to make sure that the next time I took off on a trip, I would come to the office six weeks before departure.

Your doctor should know about all the vaccines needed for each country, but its always best to check with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) or Netdoctor before hand. Its a good to have and idea of what treatments you need, so you have time to make sure you in fact did get that Tetanus or Hepatitis booster shot you think you had 5 years ago BEFORE the doctor asks you. Some of the most common medical issues that may come up in discussion with your doctor are:

Yellow fever
Malaria
Hepatitis
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Polio
Typhoid
Cholera
Meningitis
Rabies
Encephalitis

You will also want to make sure you get the appropriate proof of immunization from your doctor. Some countries require proof of immunization, so discuss the requirements with your doctor during your consultation. One example is Yellow Fever, which is a vaccine required to enter some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America.

The CDC website and NetDoctor.com allow you to click on the particular country you will be visiting on their websites world map and it will kick back information on what vaccines they recommend and other tips for staying healthy in the country selected. Here are the Links for each:
Center for Disease Control
NetDoctor