Travel health guide

Diseases to avoid

The following list will give you a general idea of what you’re up against in global terms:

• Rabies (Africa, Asia, South America) A fatal virus transmitted by the bite of animals (usually dogs). Whether you need this jab depends on the type of trip you’re taking and how quickly you’ll be able to get treatment – you’re not so likely to need it on a package tour stopping at tourist spots.
• Malaria (Africa, Asia, Central and South America) Malaria is a parasite carried by mosquitoes and kills around 1.3 million a year. Anti-malarial drugs are available but can have serious side effects. Avoid getting bitten in the first place — use repellent and wear long, loose white clothes at night.
• Yellow fever (Africa, South America) A virus carried by mosquitoes. Some countries require a yellow-fever vaccination certificate as a condition of entry into the country.
• Hepatitis A (Africa, Asia, South America) This viral disease of the liver is transmitted through contaminated food and water. There is a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine or a combined hep A and typhoid vaccine.
• Typhoid fever (Asia, Africa) This bacterium is usually transmitted by dirty fingers handling food. Vaccination is highly recommended if travelling to areas where sanitation is poor.
• Avian flu (Asia, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East) The occurrence of avian influenza A H5N1 being spread from birds to humans is rare and there’s currently no proof of human to human contamination. Your best defence against 'bird flu' is to stay away from domesticated birds and only eat well-cooked poultry.
• Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, meningitis and cholera jabs may also be recommended, depending on where you’re travelling to.

Travelling with medicine

If you’re taking medication, you’ll need to find out whether it’s legal in the country you intend to visit — contact the country’s embassy or high commission. It’s best to get a letter from your doctor outlining what your medicine is, how much you’ll be taking and that it’s for your own personal use.

Make sure you leave the medicine in its original packaging so it’s clearly labelled with your name and dosage instructions and ensure you take enough to last the trip, as it may not be available overseas.

For more information about travelling with medication, visit Medicare's website: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au.