Travel Health Advice

 

By Dr.Adam Huber (MBBS)

tropics2 Travel Health Advice What immunisations will I need before I go travelling? Below is a general guide only as recommendations on travel immunisations change frequently. You should always consult your doctor before you go and be as specific as possible with your travel plans.

All travellers

The World Health Organisation recommends all travellers, regardless of destination, be immunised against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio and Hepatitis B.  Other immunisations will depend on your destination and the duration of your trip.

Many travellers

The Hepatitis A vaccine and the typhoid vaccine are important for those heading to developing countries.  Typhoid is a key vaccination for anybody planning to eat from street carts or markets.

Other travellers

  • A yellow fever vaccine and certificate is a condition of entry for entry into some countries. The Amazon basin and parts of Africa are just some areas this disease still occurs. Check with you doctor!
  • In developing nations where you are in contact with animals (think India, Indonesia and China) the Rabies pre-exposure vaccine may be advisable (see the page on rabies for more on this)
  • The new swine flu vaccine may be advisable
  • Meningitis and Japanese encephalitis are other fairly common vaccines depending on your destination. For Nepal in particular this may be advisable.
  • Travellers might also be recommended the standard influenza vaccine (especially those going on cruises).
  • Pregnant women, children and those with other medical conditions need to consult a doctor on any special needs.

Your GP is your first point of contact before you head overseas for advice on health matters and immunisations you will need.  If you have more than a few destinations you plan to travel to try and be specific as things can change from one country or region to the next, and your doctor will need to look at each carefully.  Malaria carrying mossies and other nasties don’t respect state borders so it’s important to really know what you are up against by being specific with your plans.

Vital rules to follow regarding vaccinations and seeing your local GP before you leave;

  • Most travellers should seek medical advice at least 8 weeks prior to departure.
  • If you are heading to any developing country, or are planning to live or work overseas you should head to the GP/Travel doctor at least 6 Months prior to departure!
  • Even if you are leaving with short notice, it is still never too late to seek medical advice – don’t go without some idea of the precautions you need to take!

The World Health Organisation has a great site www.who.int/ith/en which will help you get an idea of the shots you will need.

Any GP should be able to give you decent advice on the shots you need, but most will not have the immunisations to give you on site (though some may have Hepatitis B shots on hand).   For many injections you will need to see a travel doctor or a clinic registered to give shots like rabies and yellow fever.

Next: Travel immunisations: what do they cost?

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