Vaccinations

• The Centers for Disease Control and Pevention recommends that post-splenectomy patients receive annual vaccination against the flu and pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine every five years. In addition, patients without a spleen should receive meningococcal and haemophilus influenza B (HIB) vaccines. Vaccinations do not protect 100 percent against disease, but will lessen the chance of infection.
  
  

Antibiotics

• Some doctors will prescribe a low dose of antibiotics daily for patients who do not have a functioning spleen, while others will instruct their patients to take antibiotics only at the first sign of illness or when traveling. If you develop a fever, you should see your physician right away, even if you are already taking antibiotics.
  
  

Travel

• Patients who do not have a spleen must take extra precautions to avoid infection when traveling. If you will be traveling to an area where malaria is present, you should take anti-malarial medication, wear protective clothing and use mosquito repellent to ward off bites from malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
  
  People without spleens are susceptible to infections from parasites, including Babesia, a protozoa found in ticks in some European countries and in the Northeastern United States. If you are bitten by a tick, you should contact your doctor.
  
  

Lifestyle

• Lifestyle habits designed to prevent infection can go a long way toward keeping you healthy if you've lost your spleen. Wash your hands frequently, get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy diet. Avoid crowds during times of influenza outbreaks. Carry a medical-alert card in your wallet to alert emergency medical personal that you have no spleen, should you be involved in an accident and require medical care.