Thailand Vaccination

Immunisations for Thailand – Are They Essential?

It is a wonderful thing, travelling around the world staying in different luxurious villas. Especially when this includes exotic locations, beautiful lodgings, and exciting trips. It can however, also be a little dangerous, when travelling to destinations with climates and nature much different to what you are used to.

It is always best to prepare for the worst when travelling abroad, and pre-emptively protecting yourself against things that are very much in your control. And so although immunisations may not always be completely essential, as the old saying goes; it is better to be safe than sorry.

immunisation6The environment can be very different when visiting different countries, and our bodies are susceptible to even the smallest of changes. Think about it, from a tiny mosquito you can contract a potentially deadly disease. It may only take a microbe in the air that doesn’t agree with your system to make you fall ill. There is nothing worse than becoming poorly whilst on holiday, so why take the risk?

Some ailments can be cured by a good few days’ rest, which is probably why you are there anyway. But others more debilitating, can have longer term effects, and may even require you to go to a local hospital or worse; return home. Every country has its own ‘risk rating’ for specific diseases which can be found online through government websites or through trusted medical sites sucah as Net Doctor.  Always ensure your source is reliable (so best to go for government certified ones).

man_receiving_jabFor Thailand, the ones most frequently recommended are Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Tuberculosis (aka TB), Rabies, Cholera, and Yellow Fever. Each virus requires a different incubation period ranging from two weeks to three months and so it is best to visit your doctor well ahead of schedule to ensure you are up to date with your jabs. Some of them last months, some years, and so it is best to keep a log of what you have had and when and keep it with you when travelling in case of medical emergency.

As well as immunisations, another precaution that it is wise to take is to ensure that you have robust travel insurance that covers you for accident or injury and to cover any potential medical costs whilst abroad. You can see more on this in our article about travel insurance.

Travel safe!

Photo Credit: drugtrendreport.net, dudley.gov.uk