Working out which vaccinations you need to get, for which parts of the world can be an absolute minefield. The World Health Organisation’s guidelines are complex and confusing.
Even if you’ve successfully discovered that, a trip to, Burkina Faso for example, requires you to get vaccinated for malaria, you then have to work out which strain of malaria is prevalent in which regions of Burkina Faso, and then cross-reference that with the region of the country you will be visiting. Once you’ve worked that out, you should understand which strain you are likely to encounter. But, even within a single strain, there are instances of differing resistance to antibiotics. Once you know this, then, and only then, can you identify what course of treatment you’ll need.
To circumvent this convoluted process, we have put together a list of exactly what vaccinations you’ll need in some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro – You can visit Brazil’s most popular tourist destination Rio de Janeiro, home of the imposing Christ the Redeemer statue, without ever coming near a single vaccination needle.
Iguazu Falls – If you want to visit Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfall system in the entire world, you’ll need a vaccination for yellow fever.
Amazon rainforest – The risk of contracting malaria is negligible anywhere in Brazil but in the nine states that comprise the Amazon region. So, if you want to visit the most species rich-biome in the entire world – the Amazon rainforest, you’ll have to undergo malaria vaccination. The World Health Organisation recommends that you take mosquito bite plus atovaquone-proguanil. Because of the proliferation of vampire bats that carry the rabies virus, it may also be worth getting vaccinated against rabies also.
Peru
Machu Picchu – Machu Picchu is easily one of the most sought-after and agonised-over tourist destinations. The site gives a fascinating glimpse into the ancient Incan civilisation. Delicately poised between two forest-clad Andean mountains, the 15th century citadel is a marvel of the world and is South America’s most popular tourist destination. Because Machu Picchu towers 7973ft above sea level, you shouldn’t need any vaccinations to visit. In areas 2000m above sea level and below however, you will need vaccinations against both yellow fever and malaria.
Thailand
Bangkok and Phuket Island – Whilst Thailand does harbour the presence of malaria in certain regions, fortunately, the main tourist hubs of the capital – Bangkok, and the idyllic resorts of Phuket Island are free from threat.
Tropical islands, particularly southernmost – Because of the abundance of tropical islands in Thailand, there can be a risk of contracting malaria. The World Health Organisation suggests you take mosquito bite prevention. If you are venturing near the borders with Cambodia and Myanmar though, you’ll need more complex treatment – a combination of mosquito bite prevention plus atovaquone proguanil or doxycycline depending according to the latest reports of drug resistance patterns.
Vaccines are the only way to guarantee protection against disease. There are a number of diseases that can’t currently be warded off through vaccination. In certain regions of the world, there is a very tangible risk of contracting the likes of dengue fever and the Zika virus, both of which are transmitted via mosquito bites. Visit https://www.kaysmedical.com/ to get your hands on insect repellents and mosquito nets that are the only practical way to defend yourself.
