North America

Advice for All Destinations

It is important to safeguard your health whenever you are travelling to a foreign country, regardless of destination. To ensure you are fully protected from possible infections and diseases, we strongly advise you to talk with your General Practitioner or Practise Nurse, who can asses your individual needs and can treat you accordingly. Some people may find they do not need to have vaccinations and may be prescribed tablets instead, whereas others may be advised to have a vaccination as a precaution due to an existing medical condition. The only way to make sure you are protected as much as possible is to visit your GP in person.

This would also be a good opportunity to discuss other factors that may be troubling you such as sun exposure and possible dangerous insects, as well as safe drinking water. Your GP should be able to put your mind at ease, or give you some pointers to keep you in good health, such as sticking to bottled water. Many of the problems experienced by travellers cannot be prevented by vaccinations and other preventive measures need to be taken.

It is extremely important that you are fully insured for medical emergencies including repatriation. Medicinal andÂ hospital bills abroad be very costly; it makes far better sense to take out a good full insurance with a reputable company so you can have peace of mind that should an unfortunate accident happen, you are covered and can receive the level of care you need without needing to worry. Again, depending on your individual circumstances and health issues, you may need to take out a more extensive insurance than others. We advise you to speak with a number of reputable companies, before going with the one you feel more comfortable with.

Check out your exact holiday destination below for more in depth information and advice, specific to you.

For Travel Safety Advice you should visit the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

A worldwide list of clinics, run by members of the International Society of Travel Medicine is availble on the ISTM website.