Health tips for travellers:
Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.
Hepatitis A:
You can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water regardless of where you are eating or staying.
Typhoid:
You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water, CDC recommends this vaccine for most travelers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
Malaria:
We would suggest that the patient ask their doctor what vaccines and medicines you need before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria, especially if you are visiting low-altitude areas
Hepatitis B:
You can get hepatitis B through food products, so it is recommended to get vaccinated if you might have any medical procedures
Yellow Fever:
The government of India requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. Check this list to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine:
| AFRICA | CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA | ||
| Angola Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo, Republic of the Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea |
Ethiopia Gabon Gambia, The Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Liberia Mauritania Niger Mali |
Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone South Sudan Sudan Togo Uganda |
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Colombia Ecuador French Guiana Guyana Panama Paraguay Peru Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Venezuela |
Food and Drink Safety measures:
Unclean food and water can cause travelers’ diarrhea and other diseases. Reduce your risk by sticking to safe food and water habits.
Eat
- Food that is cooked and served hot
- Hard-cooked eggs
- Fruits and vegetables you have washed in clean water or peeled yourself
- Pasteurized dairy products
Don’t Eat
- Food served at room temperature
- Food from street vendors
- Raw or soft-cooked (runny) eggs
- Raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish
- Unwashed or unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables
- Unpasteurized dairy products
- ”Bushmeat” (monkeys, bats, or other wild game)
Drink
- Bottled water that is sealed
- Water that has been disinfected
- Ice made with bottled or disinfected water
- Carbonated drinks
- Hot coffee or tea
- Pasteurized milk
Don’t Drink
- Tap or well water
- Ice made with tap or well water
- Drinks made with tap or well water (such as reconstituted juice)
- Unpasteurized milk
Prevent Bug Bites:
Bugs (like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas) can spread a number of diseases in India. Many of these diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine. You can reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent bug bites.
- Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
- Use an appropriate insect repellent.
- Stay and sleep in air-conditioned or screened rooms.
- Use a bed net if the area where you are sleeping is exposed to the outdoors.
FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TICKS AND MOSQUITOES: Use a repellent that contains 20% or more DEET for protection that lasts up to several hours.
FOR PROTECTION AGAINST MOSQUITOES ONLY: Products with one of the following active ingredients can also help prevent mosquito bites. Higher percentages of active ingredient provide longer protection.
- DEET
- Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin)
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD
- IR3535
- Always use insect repellent as directed.
Reduce Exposure to Germs :
Follow these tips to avoid getting sick or spreading illness to others while traveling:
- Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
- If soap and water aren’t available, clean hands with hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol).
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
For more country specific information please refer https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/