Travelling safely overseas

Ensure you and your family are up to date with routine vaccinations before travelling.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is especially important as measles continues to circulate in Newham, and many international destinations are seeing outbreaks. If you haven't had both doses of the MMR vaccine, you can catch up at any time – contact your GP practice or talk to your health visitor or school nurse, to check your vaccination status.

 Consult your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or travel clinic at least 4 to 6 weeks before travelling (or 3 to 4 months before if considering the dengue vaccine) for advice about any additional vaccinations and preventative medicines.

• The typhoid vaccination is freely available from GP surgeries for travellers to regions where typhoid is a risk. Recent data shows travel-associated typhoid cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are mostly contracted by people visiting friends and relatives in Pakistan and India.
• Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for those visiting high-risk areas, protecting against this liver infection that spreads through contaminated food and water. The vaccine is also freely available from your GP.
• Other vaccines such as those for Japanese encephalitis (present in rural parts of Asia), rabies, dengue and yellow fever might be recommended based on your travel plans, activities and medical history.  

• Wash your hands frequently with clean water and soap, or use hand sanitizer.
• Brush your teeth with bottled instead of tap water.
• Avoid ice in drinks and make sure you only drink bottled or treated water
• Protect yourself from excessive sun exposure by staying in the shade between 11am and 3pm, wearing sunscreen, a hat and light clothing.

• Mosquito-borne diseases pose significant risks in many parts of the world. Protect yourself by wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellent (at least 50% DEET), and sleep under insecticide-treated bed nets where air conditioning isn't available.
• Rabies is extremely serious infection and presents a risk in many countries and is transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, usually dogs. Avoid animal bites, consider pre-exposure vaccination if recommended for your destination, and seek immediate medical advice for any possible exposure to the virus. More advice about how to avoid Rabies can be found here.
• Practice safer sex abroad to reduce the risk of STIs, HIV and infections spread through close personal contact. Use condoms and have open conversations about sexual health. Be aware that antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is increasing in popular Asian-Pacific tourist destinations.
• Avoid sharing items like towels or bedding with anyone who has mpox or mpox symptoms.

• Traveller's diarrhoea is common in many destinations. If affected, rest, drink plenty of bottled fluids supplemented with rehydration salts if possible. Seek medical attention if symptoms are severe or don't improve within three days.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you experience fever of 38°C or more, blood and/or mucus in your stool, confusion or altered mental state, severe abdominal pain, or jaundice or unusual rash.
• All animal bites or scratches in rabies-endemic areas should be treated as potential rabies exposures requiring urgent medical attention.
• Suspected malaria is a medical emergency requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. If you develop fever, flu-like symptoms or any unusual symptoms during or after visiting a malaria risk country, don't wait until returning to the UK – get medical help immediately.

If you feel unwell after returning to the UK, seek medical attention promptly and inform healthcare providers about your recent travel. If you've had unprotected sex abroad, get tested for STIs before having sex with anyone else.