The goal of travel medicine is to protect the health of travellers and the communities they visit. It’s all about awareness and prevention.
Travel medicine is focused on keeping you physically and mentally well, but it’s also about the impact you have throughout your trip, which is your “health footprint”. Just like an environmental footprint, you also have a health footprint, which is the health resources you use during your trip. It’s important to minimize your health footprint so that healthcare resources can be used in places where they are needed most.
When thinking about your trip, there are three phases to consider: Pre-trip preparation, staying healthy during your trip, and post-trip follow-up.
When you are planning your trip, consider the following factors: the type of travel you plan to do, your destination, climatic conditions, duration of your trip, and your health status. Knowing these factors will help you determine how far in advance you need to prepare, what immunizations and medications you will need, and what precautions you should take during your trip.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare:
- Find out about travel health conditions and advisories at your destination and learn how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
- Visit your family doctor or travel health clinic for required and recommended immunizations. Some countries require proof of vaccination against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Be aware that you may need to visit a travel clinic more than once to get all your vaccinations. We recommend getting immunized 4-6 weeks before departure.
- Get travel health insurance to cover you for expenses such as emergency surgery, extended hospital stays or medical evacuation.
- Prepare a travel health kit with self-medicating items such as remedies for common travel ailments. Consider packing a portable bed net and protective clothing to prevent insect bites. If you are travelling to a remote area or doing adventurous activities, consider enrolling in a basic / advanced first aid or wilderness survival course.
- Take the time to learn about the people, cultures, regional geography and languages of the places you will visit.
- Make arrangements at your destination for special needs such as oxygen tanks, lab tests, dialysis, or any other medical requirements.
It depends. To get the proper vaccinations and advice, you need to determine the type of travel you’re going to undertake, your destination, duration of your trip, your vaccination history, and your current health status.
Make an appointment with a travel clinic at least 4-6 weeks before you depart to ensure your routine immunizations are up-to-date and get any travel-related vaccines if needed.
Routine immunizations provide protection from infectious diseases such as Influenza, Polio, Measles-Mumps- Rubella, and Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus. No matter your age, it’s important to ensure you are up-to-date with all your routine immunizations. Since 2017 the Australian Immunisation Register has recorded any vaccinations given to all Australians registered with Medicare. Doses of vaccine given prior to 2017 may not be recorded and a blood test may be needed to determine if you have immunity for certain diseases.
For entry into some countries, you may be required by law to show proof of vaccination against certain illnesses. Required vaccinations protect the population of the country you are visiting and limit the spread of infectious diseases in your home country. Yellow Fever is one example of a required vaccination.
Recommended vaccinations are suggested to protect the health of travellers during their trip and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases across borders.
Selective vaccinations are suggested for people going on specific trips such as visiting rural areas, taking part in work assignments, or planning long-term travel where they are at higher risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases than traditional travellers.
We recommend getting immunized 6-8 weeks in advance. This allows your body to build antibodies (immunity) against infections. Some vaccines are given in 2 or 3 doses so you may have to visit a travel health clinic or healthcare practitioner more than once.
“Yes. There are some vaccine series that can be given in accelerated doses. We recommend getting vaccinated in Australia prior to travel since vaccines at your destination may not be suitable or safe. Be aware of the risk of counterfeit or poor quality products overseas where pharmaceutical regulation is not as strict.
Travel vaccines vary in cost (ranging from approximately $30 per dose to over $200 per dose). Cost will be discussed with you at the time of consultation and before you are vaccinated. Private health funds may cover this cost in part.
Post-trip follow-up is usually overlooked by many travellers, but it could prevent future health complications and even save your life.
- A visit to your healthcare provider is needed if you experience the following symptoms upon your return:
- High fever (greater than 38.9’C / 102’F) accompanied by shaking chills, headaches, stiff neck, abdominal pain, muscle and joint pain, skin rash, yellow skin or eyes and / or bloody diarrhea.
- Diarrhea and digestive problems that last more than one week.
- Persistent cough and shortness of breath.
- Swollen glands or skin lesions that enlarge, are painful or ulcerate.
- If you were bitten by an animal, report it to your healthcare practitioner even if you received treatment abroad in case further medical attention is recommended.
If you received any type of medical care abroad (including prescription medications or changes to your existing prescription), inform your healthcare practitioner once you arrive home.
The fee for a standard 30 minute initial travel consultation is $180.00 (Medicare rebate applicable for eligible patients). Additional/subsequent consultations related to the same trip are usually bulk-billed. Bulk-billing may be applicable for children under 16 (please discuss at the time of consultation). Consultations for employment related vaccinations (eg Q fever) are not eligible to be billed to Medicare.
