Vaccinations
| DISEASE |
RECOMMENDATION |
WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR |
| Typhoid |
Vaccination recommended |
10 days before travel |
| Hepatitis A |
Vaccination recommended |
2 weeks before travel |
| Diphtheria |
Vaccination recommended |
3 months before travel |
| Tuberculosis |
Vaccination sometimes recommended |
3 months before travel |
| Hepatitis B |
Vaccination sometimes recommended |
2 months before travel |
| Rabies |
Vaccination sometimes recommended |
1 month before travel |
| Cholera |
Vaccination sometimes recommended |
2 weeks before travel |
| Yellow Fever |
Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an infected area and vaccination recommended for all travelers visiting endemic areas |
10 days before travel |
| Meningococcal meningitis |
Vaccination sometimes recommended |
2-3 weeks before travel |
Travel Health Notice
As the holiday season approaches, people may be planning to travel to popular tourist destinations, or home to visit family and friends in areas where there may be a risk of malaria.
Malaria is a serious and seldom fatal disease. It is caused by a parasite which is spread to humans by infected mosquitoes.
Travelers can lessen their risk by following four principles of malaria prevention, called the ABCD of malaria:
- be Aware of malaria risks and symptoms
- know how to prevent mosquito Bites
- take anti-malarial drugs or Chemoprophylaxis, if appropriate
- seek medical help early for Diagnosis, if malaria-like symptoms develop
About Malaria
Malaria is a serious disease caused by one of five different parasites in the Plasmodium family. The parasites are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. One species of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, can cause very severe illness and occasionally lead to death.
Transmission
Malaria is spread to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with malaria parasites.
The mosquito that spreads malaria is usually active during the evening, night and early morning (dusk to dawn).
The risk for malaria transmission increases in rural areas, during and after rainy seasons.
Symptoms
Can take from one week to several months to occur (depending on the type of malaria parasite).
Are often flu-like, including: fever, sweats, chills, headache, abdominal pain, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and feeling generally unwell.
In more severe cases may include seizures, coma, kidney and respiratory failure, and shock, which may lead to death.
Malaria recommendations
There is a significant risk of malaria in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara and appropriate preventive medicines are essential for visitors to this area. Adequate measures to avoid mosquito bites, such as nets and creams, are also essential.
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