Tips for healthy travel

Even if your client is a seasoned traveller, a little planning and preparation can reduce their risk of illness or injury while they’re away. Understanding what diseases are found in different destinations, how they are spread, and at what time of year they are most common can help prevent illness.

You can advise your client to take these top five health precautions:

• Prepare before they leave by:
• visiting a health care provider or travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before travel to get health advice for their destination, including any recommended medications or vaccinations. Even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile.
• buy travel health insurance
• pack a travel health kit
• Take precautions with food and water, including making sure food is well cooked and water is bottled/boiled or from a safe source
• Use insect repellent to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies
• Avoid contact with animals, including the places they live, are sold or are slaughtered
• Reduce the risk of respiratory infections by limiting contact with others where possible, wearing a mask in crowded spaces or when sick, and cleaning hands regularly