Vaccinations
It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain any vaccinations, Precautionary or preventative Medicines for the countries you are visiting – or any which may be required by your home country upon your return. To find out which, if any, Vaccinations are mandatory or recommended for your destination Contact your local doctor, Immunization Centre or Medical Centre for up-to-date information.
If you need to arrange vaccinations or a supply of preventative medicine (e.g. Malaria tablets), you should Contact your doctor at least two Months before you depart. Some Inoculations require more than one Visit and can take several weeks to Administer.
CARRY YOUR CERTIFICATE
You should be issued with an International Certificate of Vaccination for each vaccination. Always carry these with you on your travels; they could provide essential information for doctors in the event that you fall ill whilst traveling.
Malaria
Malaria is common in many parts of Africa, Asia and South America. Protection is in the form of tablets, taken either daily or weekly, or both. The course of tablets should normally begin 1-2 weeks before you depart, Continue throughout your travels and for 4 weeks after your return. Although you can obtain tablets from most pharmacies without prescription,
you must check that they are Appropriate for the area you are Visiting. There are many different Strains of malaria and a large number of them are drug-resistant. It may be Necessary for you to take a Combination of tablets for the region you are visiting.
No malaria tablets guarantee complete protection. The most Effective protection against malaria is to avoid being bitten. Mosquitoes Mostly bite at dusk and dawn so one of the best ways to minimize the Chance of being bitten is to wear long Trousers, long sleeves and socks at these times. You should take a good insect repellent and apply it liberally. Repellents with a high concentration of DEET (at least 35%) are generally considered the most effective.
Diarrhoea
Sampling the local food and drink is often one of the highlights of traveling. In most cases the food is Freshly prepared for you and is completely safe to eat, however it will probably contain ingredients that you are not familiar with or may be Prepared in a different way. This change in diet is one of the most common causes of travelers diarrhea. You can reduce the likelihood of suffering diarrhea if you treat food and drink with caution – at least in the early stages of your travels. In almost every country it is possible to buy bottled water. This is usually very cheap and a lot more convenient than trying to purify or filter tap water. Beware of ice in drinks and make sure you wash your hands frequenty.
In general we do not recommend the use of anti-diarrhea pills as in most Cases they do not cure the problem, they merely put it on hold. However, there are of course situations where ‘Blocking up’ may be desirable, for Instance if you are embarking on a long bus ride. Diarrhoea which lasts for longer than 48-72 hours, shows signs of blood or Mucus or which is concurrent with other symptoms, such as a headache or high temperature, should always be taken seriously. Seek medical advice
(your Tour Leader can assist you with this).
Dehydration
In deserts, in the tropics and at high Altitude, your body can lose a lot of water. Dehydration also occurs when you are suffering from diarrhoea. The best way to avoid dehydration is to drink plenty of fluids. In most countries you can obtain “rehydration salts” or “electrolyte Solution”. Although these do not taste great, they restore the salts lost by your body. You can also make your own rehydration mixture by adding 4 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt to one liter of clean water.