If you’re lucky enough to be travelling overseas in the coming months, you’ll want to make sure you do everything you can to avoid getting sick during your travels.
No one wants to be stuck in bed missing out on fun adventures, or searching random streets for a pharmacy, or paying thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Read our handy travel tips and stay healthy!
VACCINATIONS
Pacific Islands, Asia and the Middle East - ensure you are up-to-date with your typhoid vaccine, as it remains effective for only 3 years, and get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B if you haven’t already. Kids and adults under 30 were vaccinated against Hep B as part of their childhood program, but most older people will not have had a Hep B vaccine, and Hep A is not part of the childhood immunisations. Depending on where you are going, vaccines for rabies, Japanese encephalitis (JE) and cholera might also be needed, and you might need anti-malarial tablets.
North America and Europe - you probably won’t need any travel vaccines (although Hep A is advised for parts of Eastern Europe), but since it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, you might want to get a flu vaccine before you go (even if you had one in Australia this winter - the vaccine’s effectiveness wears off after 4 or so months, which is one of the reasons why you need a flu vaccine every year). Also, many people think they have immunity to measles but aren’t - you may qualify to get a free booster dose, depending on your age and immunisation history.
Africa and South/Central America - many countries in these areas are yellow fever risk countries - if you are travel to any of them, other countries might refuse entry to you if you can’t prove you’ve been vaccinated against yellow fever. In addition, ensure you are up-to-date with your typhoid vaccine (it remains effective for only 3 years), and get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B if you haven’t already. Depending on where you are going, vaccines for rabies, meningococcal, Japanese encephalitis (JE) and cholera might also be needed, and you might need anti-malarial tablets.
We recommend you see a GP six to twelve weeks before you travel, as most vaccines take several weeks to take effect, and some need more than one dose. Even if you have already been vaccinated against certain diseases, you should still check with your GP, as your immunity to some diseases may have changed or reduced with time, so you may need a booster.
Please bring a copy of your immunisation history with you to your appointment, unless you are sure that we have the details already. You may need to complete a form so that we can arrange for your previous GP clinic to send up a copy of your immunisation history - this can takes several weeks to obtain, so again, it’s best to not leave this too late.
Mention this post when you visit North Brighton Medical and we’ll give you 10% off all of the travel vaccines you need for your holiday!
TRAVELLER’S DIARRHOEA
Known by various names such as Bali Belly, Delhi Belly and Montezuma’s Revenge, traveller’s diarrhoea (or TD) is the most common health problem facing travellers to less developed countries - it affects between 30 and 50% of travellers in a 2 week overseas stay, with up to 80% of people travelling to high-risk regions affected.
Most cases result from consuming contaminated food or water, so travellers to high risk regions are advised to drink bottled water, avoid ice in drinks, and avoid seafood (particularly shellfish), salads, cold meat and fruit that you haven’t peeled yourself.
If suffering from TD, the most important thing to do is stay hydrated with products such as Gastrolyte or Hydrolyte. Sufferers generally need to let the illness run its course, which unfortunately will usually be at least 3 to 4 days. Some areas (such as South East Asia) have a higher risk of bacteria-related diarrhoea and a GP may recommend you taking a prescription for antibiotics with you on your trip to use if affected.
Products such as Imodium or Stop-It should be avoided, unless needed (eg. so you can make it through your 8-hour bus ride). Products such as Buscopan can help with stomach cramps.
Seek medical help for severe symptoms, fever or bloody diarrhoea.
OTHER HEALTH TIPS FOR TRAVEL
Altitude sickness - if you’re heading to somewhere at high altitude, like the Himalayas, Mount Kilimanjaro or Peru, be aware that you might suffer from altitude sickness. See your GP for advice on how to avoid it, and what to do if you do suffer from it.
First aid kit and toiletries - consider bringing some of the following items with you, especially if you don’t think you’ll have easy access to a doctor or pharmacy:
wound care, such as band-aids, blister protection, bandages and antiseptic cream;
pain relief (paracetamol and/or ibuprofen);
motion sickness medications;
rehydration tablets, and other medications for traveller’s diarrhoea (discussed above);
allergy (including antihistamines for insect reactions) and hay fever medications;
sun protection;
hand sanitiser;
condoms;
insect repellent (DEET or Citriodiol) - important to help avoid catching mosquito borne disease such as Zika, JE, Malaria and Dengue fever in tropical locations;
regular medications - ensure you have enough with you. If you are taking large quantities of some medications, it’s a good to have a letter from your doctor confirming you need it.
Travel insurance - if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel! It’s as simple as that!
Enjoy your trip!