Ask the Travel Doctor
This section allows you to ask your travel related questions. One of our senior travel professionals will provide you with an answer.
Disclaimer: Information provided in this health column is of a general nature & should not replace specific advice from your own personal Travel Doctor-TMVC consultation.Not all questions submitted to the website will be answered & users of this website should always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any questions they have regarding their health or a medical condition.
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I am going to Santiago, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro (and maybe some rural stuff around those) from the 14th of May to the 31st of May. I believe I need some shots to go. Can you help? Johannes
Hi Johannes, yes we can assist and make a few comments about a common question. All travellers should consider their health before travel and vaccines are one aspect of that. Most vaccines are for our general protection, so we have to consider our general routine vaccines first, then consider any travel-specific ones. With travel-related vaccines, there are common ones like hepatitis-A and typhoid that are common for most travellers, and some less common ones like rabies which might be relevant depending on activities, location, duration of travel etc. Yellow fever vaccination may be an actual requirement for some itineraries, particularly for those in and out of South American countries like you.
So, what vaccines are recommended for you personally depends on what you have had in the past, whether you are up-to-date with your routine vcaiines, and the exact detail of your travels. While all that sounds complicated, and you probably won't need much, a consultation is required with an expert Dr to get it right for you. See you soon. Dr Tony
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My daughter is travelling to Brazil on exchange for a year. Does she have to malaria tablets for the whole year? She is staying with families in the city areas. She will be going on an organized tour of Amazon, but not sure what time of year. Nicole.
Hi Nicole, lucky daughter! The short answer is that she does not need to take antimalarials while she is living and studying, but may need some if visiting the Amazon jungle. There are of course some important vaccinations, including yellow fever, so she will definitely need a specialised travel medicine consultation to determine the detailed requirements to suit her trip exactly.
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Hi, Im going to South America 25th of Jan for up to 12 months.
Andrew, in South America the malaria of concern for travellers essentially occurs only in the Amazon forest, so antimalarial drugs are only relevant for time spent in the jungle. Otherwise, it is not appropriate to take them. There are different drugs, and they fit different travel profiles as well as different people. Lariam is generally a poor choice for short exposures. Mosquito-bite prevention is still essential, unfortunately there is no vaccination. You may well need a yellow fever vaccination. This is ofetn not available at a GP practice.
Travel Doctor-TMVC clinics of course have yellow fever vaccine, and have the detailed knowledge to identify where your malaria risk is ( if any) and assist you manage that sensibly. Dr Tony
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