Make an appointment 6 – 8 weeks before departing for required vaccinations
Departure Date:____________________________
Appointment Date:__________________________
Pack medical supplies, e.g. first aid kit, prescription drugs, needles and syringes, condoms, lubricant, sunscreen, insect repellent, extra pair of spectacles and lens prescription, motion sickness medication.
Buy travel insurance, including comprehensive health cover and record emergency telephone number.
Collect tickets.
Apply for passport and visas if necessary.
Organise any required entry visas.
Buy travellers cheques (record all numbers)
Leave copies of your itinerary with family and friends
Whilst you're away
Avoid potentially unsafe food and drinks. Food and drinks you should avoid; uncooked, cold or reheated foods; raw vegetables, salads and unpeeled fruits; raw shellfish; food and ice-cream from street vendors; unpasteurized milk (unless boiled); Ice-cubes (unless from safe water); bottled water if unsealed. Fresh cooked foods and hot beverages are usually safer.
Avoid potentially unsafe water. Always boil drinking water if unsafe or doubtful or use a certified filter and/or disinfectant agent.
Personal hygiene is vital; always wash your hands before eating and handling food. Avoid brushing teeth with unsafe water.
Sexually transmitted diseases; including HIV / AIDS, hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydial infections, trichomoniasis, chancroid, genital herpes and genital warts are a serious threat around the world. The risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding casual and unprotected sexual intercourse, and by use of condoms.
Bites from insects or other vectors (e.g. ticks); many diseases are carried by mosquitoes and other vectors, therefore travellers should protect themselves against such risks with insect repellents, mosquito coils, aerosol sprays, protective clothing and mosquito nets. Examples are yellow fever, dengue and tick-borne encephalitis.
Diseases transmitted from Animals; through bites and contact with contaminated body fluids and faeces or by consumption of foods of animal origins (meat and milk products). Avoiding close contact with any animals including wild, captive and domestic, in places where infection is likely to be present, can reduce the risk of infection. Examples are rabies, brucellosis, leptospirosis and certain viral hemorrhagic fevers.
Swimming; avoid swimming, bathing and wading in Freshwater Streams, Marshes or Rice Paddies. Swimming in salt water is usually safe, but ensure that no sewage or freshwater outlets are present.
Skin Piercing; it is unwise to have your skin pierced with needles used in acupuncture, tattooing, ear piercing and any other skin piercing instruments unless you can be sure such equipment is sterile. Wiping needles etc with alcohols swabs does not guarantee sterility.
Travellers suffering from diabetes should carry a sufficient supply of sterile needles and syringes for the duration of their trip with a doctor's authorization for their use. Travellers suffering from other significant medical conditions such as angina pectoris and haemophilia, should carry a record of their disease with them at all times.
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