Wherever you are travelling to, it is important to ensure that you are fit and healthy enough to travel as well as make any prior preparations before your holiday.
Prior to jetting off, you may wish to visit a pharmacy or clinic in order to have a pro-travel consultation to determine if you are fit and well enough to travel.
This may be especially important if you have prior illnesses or ailments which may need additional consideration before travel. Older people may also require a checkup before travelling to ensure they are well enough, as well as pregnant women.
A consultation with a doctor will cover everything you need to prepare before travel, such as the medications you need to take and also vaccinations you may need. This should be arranged well in advance as certain vaccines require multiple shots which are often done several weeks apart.
The destination of your travel will determine which vaccinations you need. Not every destination will require a vaccine as many places do not carry the risk of disease or infection.
However, many places which do require vaccines for travel will ask for proof of these before allowing you to travel so it is important that you arrange this well in advance to avoid being refused travel on the day of your trip.
The most common travel vaccines you may need to get include hepatitis A and B, meningitis, cholera, typhoid, tetanus, tuberculosis and yellow fever. It is vital that you look up your destination and which vaccinations are necessary so you can consult your doctor and arrange all the necessary medications.
Not all vaccines include having an injection. For example, the cholera vaccine is usually taken orally as a drink. You may wish to discuss options with your doctor before booking any vaccines to see if there are alternatives available to you.
You may have also received some of the vaccines previously. For example, most people receive the TB jab as children meaning it may not be necessary for you to get this unless you are visiting an area for an extended period of time and require a booster.
After you have received your vaccines within good time, you will want to gather all the necessary medication you may need before you travel. This includes any regular medicines you take as well as stocking up on general medications such as anti-sickness tablets, painkillers and even items such as bite and sting creams and anything else you may need while you are away.
Keeping a checklist of everything you have is a good way to ensure it is all in order and you can easily find what you need while you are on holiday. You may also wish to research the local pharmacies, clinics and hospitals prior to your departure so make sure you are well-prepared and familiar with the facilities available to you.
It is also important to get travel insurance before going on holiday anywhere to ensure you are covered for any unexpected hospital or doctor visits as these can be costly when abroad and not covered as many countries do not provide free, public healthcare.