Madagascar

Madagascar is a large country off the south east coast of Africa. It is well known for its rainforests, hiking and diving, beaches and reefs.

Make sure you are aware of what you need, such as visas, vaccines and other medical requirements.

Check your flight route

You may need a Yellow Fever certificate. Whilst most flights involve a change of plane in Paris, some flights route via Nairobi, Kenya. If you have a long lay over in Nairobi you will be required to provide on entry to Madagasgar, a valid Yellow Fever certificate.

Don’t risk rabies

Rabies is a virus found in mammals and is fatal if not treated promptly. Treating rabies can be difficult in Madagascar, but is made much simpler for those who receive rabies vaccinations prior to travel. If the focus of your trip is the mammals of Madagascar, rabies vaccinations pre-trip is strongly recommended.

Banish the bites

Make sure you wear plenty of insect repellent whilst away as Madagascar has several diseases that can be spread via the bite of a mosquito or fly. Insect repellent should contain at least 50% DEET. Anti-malarial medication is always advised for Madagascar. Protect yourself from mosquitos with our Ultimate Bug Kits.

Travel with Insurance

Ensure you take out comprehensive travel insurance before you go to Madagascar, and ensure that it covers you any activities you may have planned (such as scuba diving).

FLEET STREET TRAVEL CLINIC

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By Anna Chapman |  Travel Nurse | August 2018

Sri Lanka – Vaccinations

All travellers should ensure they are in date with Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio,  Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Vaccinations against Rabies, Hepatitis B and Japanese Encephalitis may be recommended for some travellers, depending on the itinerary and of activities and places to visit.

Insect Precautions

Although malaria is very low risk in Sri Lanka, viruses such as dengue fever and chikungunya fever are present. Prevention for these comes from minimising mosquito bites, so take some insect repellant with 50% DEET, wear long loose clothing, and take a plug in vaporiser to use in your room to ensure your room stays mosquito free.

Food, Water and Sun

Prevent traveller diarrhoea by ensuring the food and water you consume is safe. It is always a sensible idea to take some alcohol-based hand gel with you to clean your hands before eating. Enjoy the sun sensibly by using a high factor sun screen, and avoiding direct sunlight between 11am and 3pm when the suns rays are strongest.

First Aid

Medications and first aid supplies are harder to source in Sri Lanka. It is always a good idea to take your own supply of basic medications and first aid supplies with you in order to treat minor ailments and injuries.

FLEET STREET TRAVEL CLINIC

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By Anna Chapman | Travel Nurse | August 2018

Corporate Flu Vaccination Programmes

Flujabs.org is the flu vaccination service of Fleet Street Clinic, providing vaccinations to the UK and worldwide for over 20 years.

Make sure to protect your workforce this winter by offering flu vaccines to your employees.

If you have any queries, please get in touch with our Flu Jabs team at Fleet Street Clinic, who will be happy to answer any questions. Or you can visit our Flu Jabs page for more information.

Public Health England has implemented emergency measures to ensure the Hepatitis B vaccine is protected for those who need it most, due to severe shortages in the supply of the vaccine.

The UK is a low-risk country for Hepatitis B those most at risk are babies. The Hepatitis B vaccination has recently been added to the standard NHS immunisation schedule, which is not affected by the current shortage.

Individuals can reduce their risk of contracting hepatitis B through avoiding unprotected sex and injecting drugs, avoiding getting tattoos, piercings or acupuncture when overseas, and avoiding medical or dental care in high risk countries unless absolutely necessary.

A spokesperson for Public Health England said “We think there will be shortages until early 2018 so we are urging people to make sure they are taking the right precautions while the shortage is ongoing.”

For all those needing vaccination and immunisation support, Fleet Street Clinic offers expert travel advice, occupational health assessments and a dedicated vaccination clinic with expert medics for all those needing vaccination and immunisation support.

Our Travel Clinic can provide you with all the vaccines you need.

All of our travel and wellness vaccination appointments are available to book online.

Fleet Street Clinic’s monthly Saturday Clinic will be held on Saturday, August 12th, 9am -1pm. Patients have access to all nurse services – including travel jabs and childhood immunisations.

We have good stocks of vaccines which are in short supply at the moment, such as Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.

If you’d like to bring your children for their immunisations or if you’re travelling over the holidays and need some last-minute vaccines, we can help.

You can book an appointment online.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is a series of viral infections that all cause an inflammation of the liver if not treated, and is responsible for two out of every three liver cancer deaths. The theme of World Hepatitis Day 2018 was ‘Find the Missing Millions’, since 300 million people globally are living with viral hepatitis and are completely unaware of it.

Consequently, the Fleet Street Travel Clinic recommend that you ‘GET ADVICE. GET TESTED. GET VACCINATED’. This is especially the case if you are travelling to high risk areas, namely the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Central and South America, the Far East and Eastern Europe.

Get Advice

Hepatitis A is spread through food and water contaminated with the virus. Travellers should exercise caution by:

• Ensuring all food is cooked thoroughly and served hot
• Sticking to bottled water with a seal, or boiled water
• Avoiding ice as well as tap water
• Only consuming fruit that can be peeled or sliced without contamination (such as bananas)
• Avoiding high-risk food such as shellfish, raw or rare meat, salad, buffet food and reheated food

Hepatitis B and C are contracted through contact with infected blood and bodily fluids. This can include:

• Mother to baby transmission at the time of birth
• Unprotected sex
• Contaminated medical equipment such as needles and syringes
• Contaminated tattoo or body piercing equipment

Get Tested

9 out of 10 people living with viral hepatitis are unaware they have it. Significantly, Hepatitis C is the most common type in the UK and often causes no noticeable symptoms. Fleet Street Clinic offers a range of blood tests and health screenings, and testing is quick, easy, and painless.

Get Vaccinated

Hepatitis A and B are easily preventable through vaccination, and we recommend the vaccine especially for the following people:

• Those who are at occupational risk (such as health care or aid workers)
• Travellers who visit high-risk areas, or those who travel frequently or for longer periods
• Travellers who have pre-existing conditions which may make it more likely for them to need medical attention
• Those who participate in lifestyle behaviours that may increase the risk (such as unprotected sex and injecting drug use)

Although there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C, it can be treated with effective antiviral medications.

Fleet Street Travel Clinic

Book your appointment today.