The essentials of vaccines and medications
Health is an essential pillar of any journey. When traveling far from home, sometimes for several months, anticipating your medical needs becomes crucial. Between health check-ups, mandatory vaccines, and more, here is a guide to help you prepare for travel with complete peace of mind.
General Practitioner : for a global assessment, renewing your prescriptions and anticipating your needs.
Dentist : better to treat a cavity before taking the plane!
Ophthalmologist : essential if you wear glasses or contact lenses (bring a spare pair).
Gynecologist / other specialists : according to your personal medical follow-up.
Have a complete medical evaluation before leaving
Before any long-term departure, it is strongly recommended to consult your usual doctors.
Why is it important?
Detect and treat any health issues in advance.
Update your vaccinations.
Obtain the necessary certificates or prescriptions for your travel insurance.
Travel vaccines: plan as much as possible
Some vaccines are mandatory or strongly recommended depending on the destination. They often need to be administered several weeks before departure (sometimes in multiple doses).
Common examples:
Yellow fever (mandatory for some countries in Africa and South America).
Hepatitis A and B.
Typhoid.
Rabies (depending on the area).
For more information, here are some useful links:
Practical Advice: make an appointment as soon as possible, as some centers have several weeks of waiting.
Preventing malaria and tropical diseases
In some regions, a preventive treatment for malaria may be prescribed.
Your doctor can also inform you about:
Protective measures against mosquitoes (mosquito net, repellents, long clothing).
Health risks related to water and food (travelers' diarrhea, cholera, etc.).
The Travel Medicine link allows you, through your profile, to get fairly detailed advice on vaccines and other recommendations!
Better safe than sorry!
Prepare a travel first aid kit
A well-thought-out kit saves you a lot of stress on-site. It should contain:
First aid: bandages, disinfectant, compresses, healing cream.
Daily health: pain relievers (paracetamol, ibuprofen), anti-diarrheals, antihistamines.
Travel: treatment for motion sickness, saline solution, tablets to purify water.
Tropics: mosquito repellent, high-SPF sunscreen, burn ointment.
Your doctor can tailor the kit based on your medical history and your destination.
Health insurance and medical follow-up
Don't leave without checking your travel insurance: medical expenses, hospitalization, repatriation. These guarantees are essential, especially outside Europe where costs can be very high.
Also keep:
Your prescriptions.
The useful numbers (24/7 medical assistance, embassies, consulates).
A digital copy of your medical documents.
Some useful resources for traveling in good health
Do you want to continue to learn about the best way to prepare for your trip?
We offer you three other articles related to preparing for a long trip. You know that you need to equip yourself properly for a journey of such duration, but you must also plan the administrative aspects, take care of your health, and anticipate potential problems. After all, it is better to be prepared for everything to fully enjoy your trip!
