Thailand, the USA, Bali, and Somaliland… just some of the places our patients are travelling to over the next few months. Now that flights have resumed and borders have reopened it’s great to see people travelling again.
There’s often so much to plan before you leave; accommodation, essential documents, visa and let’s not forget travel insurance. But one thing we tend to forget about is actually one of the most important things – our health. What this really means is doing everything we can to stop our holiday plans from being ruined by preventable illness.
Influenza, traveller’s diarrhoea and Hepatitis A are amongst the most common infectious diseases suffered by travellers and yet they are preventable. Diarrhoea, fevers and vomiting are generally not conducive to a relaxing getaway. Having travel vaccinations before you leave can help reduce the risk of your holiday being ruined by illness.
Things to think about:
1. Where you’re travelling to? Some places have higher rates of infectious diseases, eg. Malaria
2. How long you’re travelling for?
3. What activities you’ll be doing? eg. hiking at an altitude
4. Some destinations may have limited access to medical facilities
5. Access to clean water
6. Pre-existing medical conditions, eg. travellers with a weakened immune system, pregnant women etc.
7. Entry requirements for certain countries. Do you need a Yellow Fever certificate?
We can help you plan for your next trip, offer comprehensive up-to-date advice about vaccinations and discuss medications that might be relevant to your destination and activities. We can access your immunisation history to see what you’ve had already so that you don’t double up.
We recommend you book an appointment with one of our doctors at least 4-6 weeks before you travel as some vaccines require multiple doses for adequate immunity and may also only become effective after a certain amount of time.
