Medical precautions before traveling: 5 things to keep in mind

Concerning my travel plans, I thought it would be smart to check what vaccinations I need before I take off. I will be extra careful this time, because a few years ago I got bitten by a monkey. And.., I had no vaccination for Rabies. But more about that later.

This morning I got an appointment with the GGD (Public Health Service in English). First you have a conversation with a doctor. The doctor told me about all the possibilities and about what I needed. My personal story on Steemit is not my advice but it is just what I have been recommended, you have to visit a doctor yourself for personal advice. But I’ll tell you what to think about, when you go traveling.

1 Let an expert give you advice

Make sure that you go to a hospital or travel clinic, they can give you advice. There are different vaccinations advised for different countries for different nationalities. Even if you decide to visit one country it can be different within that country. In some areas can be malaria and some areas are malaria free. Or, if you have had vaccinations before, some vaccinations you have to repeat and some are for 3 or 10 years.

2 Register all your vaccinations

Most hospitals and clinics give you an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. In this little yellow book you can collect all your stamps and information about the specific vaccination. Such as date, brand, place and how much. This information is not important at the moment you start your trip, but if you decide to go on a trip again. You can check what you need and don't have to take a vaccination twice. It seems you me that the less you need the better and, the costs can be quite high for some vaccinations.

3 Be on time

My appointment, today is 2 months before I will go to South America. Glad I still have 2 months because for the vaccination hepatitis B you need a second injection 30 days later. To complete some vaccinations you need a second or even third injection. If you run out of time, sometimes the injections can be taken abroad. But, if not necessary, take them at the same hospital or clinic. They know what you've had already and if you get an allergic reaction they can help you on time.

4 Check your insurance

It will be smart to check if you’re insured and when you’re not. Getting all the needed vaccinations for different countries can be expensive. I decided to take an additional insurance package this year which include vaccinations and emergency medicine for altitude sickness and malaria. This can save you a lot of money. (This strongly depends on you national healthcare system)

5 Read about different diseases

If you know what diseases there are and how to stay away from them, you’ll probably be more prepared. You'll recognize what can be wrong and you'll anticipate. The world health organization describes a list with all the explanations of different diseases. In most cases going to a hospital for a check is the best next step you can take if you start to feel sick or have a (light) fever.

Monkey bite

I told you already about the monkey bite. This is what went wrong: I went to Vietnam and got bitten by a monkey on a small island near Nha Trang. The bite was not strong, there was some blood. I thought everything was ok but the same evening my whole hand was red and big. I had to go to the hospital and called my insurance. They advised me to take a rabies vaccination by schedule. You have to take 5 injections at day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28. It was quite a thing to visit all those hospitals while traveling through Vietnam but it is worth it for sure. You’ll definitely NOT want to have rabies, which is a very deadly disease.

Feel free to leave a message or give me advice. I am curious to know what other countries provide as vaccination advice.

Have a good day and Steem on!