Okay, so you’ve packed your flip-flops, the bikini and the sun tan cream – you’re nearly ready! But have you taken in to account how to look after your health when travelling? I’m guessing the chances are edging to the answer “no.” When I went to the Dominican Republic in 2016 I became very unwell and I had no clue what to do so I have local travel health clinic, Clari Health answering some burning questions we might have before we fully pack up and head on our jollies. Keep reading if you want to keep safe whilst on holiday!
Q. Thank you for joining us today for this bumper Q&A about holiday-makers getting vaccinated for your next trip! Would you like to tell us a bit about Clari Health and what your clinic does?
A. Thank you Bee, for giving us the space to shed light on an underrated but crucial part of travelling – travel health! Clari Health is a travel vaccination clinic based in Leeds and Birmingham. We provide information on recommended travel vaccines depending on your travel itinerary, administer travel vaccines and provide advice on how to protect yourself from any major travel diseases that may pose a risk. If you’re heading to certain parts of South America or Africa during your hols, you might want to fix an appointment with us to get the recommended Yellow Fever vaccine and any other necessary ones!
Q. Are there any misconceptions about getting vaccinated for your travels, if so, what are they?
A. The anti-vaccination vs vaccination argument is all the rage these days, so we’ll go ahead and put forth our stance on this. Some people still subscribe to the ‘natural immunity is better than vaccination’ argument – that is, they believe that getting infected by a disease and then recovering from it will give them better immunity than getting vaccinated.
Our answer to this is, why would you want to risk serious illness or death when most vaccines are 85-100% effective in preventing diseases? To put things in perspective, unvaccinated individuals are a thousand times more likely to get encephalitis (serious inflammation of the brain) as a result of a measles infection compared to those who’ve received the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Another common misconception is that once you’ve gotten the flu jab once, you’re protected from the flu for life. We can tell you that this is definitely false, since there are various strains of the flu and this year’s strain may be entirely different from last year’s.
Q. Are there top-up vaccinations we should all get regardless of the destination? Or is it just certain destinations you should get them for?
A. Well, if for some reason, you haven’t gotten your routine childhood immunisations yet – and by routine, we mean vaccines that protect against tetanus, diphtheria and polio for example – it’s best that you get them right away, whether you’re travelling or not.
Various travel destinations pose risks of various diseases so it’s best that you arrange a consultation with a travel health professional and go down with your travel itinerary in hand so that he or she can tell you which shots to get to keep yourself safe. For example, if you’re heading down to Nigeria or Brazil, it’s best for you to get a yellow fever vaccine since the disease has been reported in these countries and there is a real risk of transmission.
Q. The celebrity , Cheryl (the singer), contracted Malaria after a trip to Tanzania, are vaccinations/tablets a sure-fire way to protect yourself from viruses and diseases whilst travelling? I imagine this propelled the need to vaccinate before travel in the media!
A. No vaccine is 100% effective. But vaccines exponentially multiply your chances of avoiding diseases during your trip! For context, the risk of morbidity due to Hepatitis A is a staggering 300 times more in unvaccinated individuals than vaccinated individuals. And where the mortality rate caused by Yellow Fever in those who haven’t been vaccinated is 50%, it’s close to 0 in those who have gotten the Yellow Fever vaccine.
Unfortunately, there is no known vaccine for Malaria as of yet. What there are though, are antimalarial drugs that your travel health professional may recommend and prescribe you if you’re heading to areas with a high risk of transmission of Malaria like Tanzania (where Cheryl Cole contracted the disease). These drugs aren’t 100% effective, but if you take them as advised, they should boost your protection against Malaria. It’s vital that you also take steps to avoid mosquito bites in areas with a high risk of transmission – you should use repellents, wear long-sleeved clothing and use mosquito nets.
Q. One of my favourite destinations I travel to is the Caribbean – I’ve never vaccinated myself before travel. Is there something I should be doing before I head to Mexico later on this year?
A. If you aren’t already up-to-date with routine vaccinations such as Hepatitis A, Tetanus or Typhoid or if you’re unsure about your immunity status, it’s best to visit a travel vaccination clinic well ahead of your trip to get yourself protected.
If you’re going over to Mexico to be an aid worker or heading to areas where there is limited access to safe water and medical care, the cholera vaccine is also recommended. Since there is a risk of rabies transmission in the country as well, if you’re going to be around animals, are going to an area where there’re limited medical facilities or are going to be in the country for more than a month, it’s best to also get yourself vaccinated against rabies.
Q. Talking of the Caribbean, there’s been a huge amount of coverage on the “Zika Virus” and the issues a lot of long-haul destinations are facing because of it – are there preventative vaccinations or tablets to ward this off?
A. The Zika Virus is an especially tough nut to crack because it has no known vaccine and more worryingly, is asymptomatic in 80% of those who are infected. Symptoms (rash, itching, fever) are also mild in those who do experience them. The illness has more serious implications for pregnant women though, since it can be passed from them to the foetus and there’s evidence that it causes birth defects!
If you’re going to be visiting a country that has reported past cases of Zika in recent years, make sure that you take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Treating your clothing with repellents such as permethrin, using insect repellents containing DEET, wearing long sleeved pants and shirts, using mosquito netting and staying or sleeping in screened or air-conditioned rooms are some of the measures that can be taken. For more comprehensive advice tailored to your travel itinerary, speak to a travel health professional.
Q. Do you have any advice to anyone that does fall ill whilst on holiday?
A. It’s a terrible thing to have the vacation that you’ve been looking forward to for months be ruined by ill-health, but unfortunately, it happens a lot. First and foremost, take the necessary precautions before you travel – get yourself vaccinated if required and bring along the basic painkillers, flu meds and carbon tablets. For mild colds and bouts of diarrhoea, these pills may come in handy! Depending on how seriously ill you feel, you may want to pop in to the nearest clinic or hospital in your destination city or town. The doctors there will be able to assess your condition and treat you accordingly.
You may have to take things off your itinerary as well, no matter how painful it is to do so – the more rest you take, the higher the chances are of you recovering faster. Stay in, keep yourself properly nourished and hydrated and avoid being adventurous with your food or drink choices. Chances are, if it’s a cold or a case of traveller’s diarrhoea, you’ll be back on your feet and ready to go in two or three days.
Q. Are vaccinations affordable? I know a lot of people do put it off due to the expense.
A. You’ll find that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the costs. You only need to get the Yellow Fever vaccine and Rabies vaccine once so you’re essentially paying for lifelong protection! Vaccines are very much affordable, especially if you consider how much in hospital bills you may rack up if you avoid getting them and instead contract a disease that is preventable.
Q. If travellers are pregnant, should they get vaccinated? (After all they are told not to even take over the counter ibuprofen and paracetamol.) Do you have any advice?
A. When you visit a vaccination clinic, rest assured that the travel health professional will take into consideration all risk factors before recommending you a certain vaccine. Most vaccines are safe for pregnant women and some are even recommended to them like the flu vaccine – this vaccine will give both mother and baby protection! In certain cases, such as with the Yellow Fever vaccine, a travel health professional may approach the issue on a case-by-case basis before deciding whether the vaccine is suitable for the pregnant woman in question.
Q. Is there a destination that’s more common for contracting viruses / diseases whilst abroad? If so, where & why?
A. Generally, countries in which there is poor access to water and inadequate sanitation facilities tend to pose risks of cholera and typhoid. African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya have experienced outbreaks of cholera in recent years due to the consumption of contaminated water by the local population. So if you’re heading over to any of these countries, make sure that you only drink boiled water or that you have a reliable source of clean, potable water.
Q. If you could give one piece of advice to travellers before they head on their next adventure, what would it be?
A. Awareness and preparation are key. Be prepared for any situation that may arise. Get those cold meds and carbon tablets packed and be ready to cut short your trip if necessary! And be aware of the conditions in the country that you’re heading to – if it’s not known for the best hygiene and sanitation, stick to boiled or bottled water and food that’s served hot. Avoid street vendors and choose eating establishments that have higher standards of hygiene.
Q. How can someone book a consultation with you if they have any questions about their next trip?
A. You can book an appointment online with us on our website – we have slots available on weekdays and weekends. You can also give us a call at 01134679506 to fix an appointment! Remember to visit us well ahead of your trip as some vaccines require more than one dose and need a certain time period to be effective.
*Please note that all advice given is that of Clari Health, if you are unsure or require further help please do contact a professional.
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