Special Travellers

Travelling with children, especially very young children, requires some extra consideration to ensure that their experience (and your’s) is safe, happy and healthy.

Food-borne Illness

Food Borne illness is common among children but can be prevented with attention to good hand hygiene and safe eating and drinking habits. Children who become unwell with vomiting and/or diarrhoea are also at risk of developing dehydration.

Insect-borne Illness

Mosquitos, sand flies and ticks can present a very real risk of illness in some countries. Taking smart precautions to avoid bites from any of these insects is recommended.

Animal Bites

Most children find animals cute, especially dogs, cats and monkeys, and your child may want to pat (or hug) them. If you are travelling to a location where Rabies is known to exist be watchful of your children and keep them away from animals, even if the animals appear healthy – Rabies is a life-threatening disease and quick action is required if bitten.

Your Travel Medicine GP will be able to advise you about Traveller’s Diarrhoea and other food-borne illnesses; insect-borne illness and protecting your children from insect bites; and protecting your child from Rabies and what to do if your child is bitten.

It’s also important to consider the impact of hot and humid conditions and cold climates on little bodies. Traffic and water accidents account for the most injury among children. Consider taking your own car seat from home and take extra care around busy streets and any bodies of water. It is also important to check that your child’s usual immunisations are up-to-date. Diseases like measles and whooping cough are much more common in some developing countries and can place unvaccinated children at greater risk.

School leavers and young adults may be more likely to take greater risks when travelling which may expose them to potential injury or illness. Peer pressure, alcohol, drugs or just plain excitement can lead to risky behaviour, including unprotected sex. Travelling on a budget may also mean cheaper accommodation, cheaper food options (such as street stalls) and cheaper adventure operators who may not be as safety conscious. Even if you cannot afford all or any of the travel vaccinations that may be recommended for your destination, your Travel Medicine GP will be able to give you some very useful advice on how best to protect yourself and your health when travelling overseas. 

If you are pregnant and healthy it is generally safe to travel with a little bit of extra preparation. However, it is important to consider avoiding some destinations which may put you and your baby at higher risk, including countries where Zika and Malaria are known to exist. Consulting with your antenatal care providers (obstetrician, GP, midwife) for advice on your general fitness for travel is highly recommended. Your Travel Medicine GP will be able to advise you about travel health risks specific to your travel plans. It is recommended that you seek advice from these professionals well ahead of time to ensure that you and your baby have the best chance of staying safe and healthy while travelling overseas.

Adventure travel often presents increased risk of illness and injury due to the more extreme nature of activities and often remote location. In addition to the risks associated with food-borne illness, insect-borne disease and physical injury travellers hiking at altitude are at risk of altitude sickness. Talking with your Travel Medicine GP well before you leave will give you the opportunity to prepare for the physical stress of adventure travel, seek advice about health precautions specific to the destination you are going to and learn about what to do if you find yourself (or a travel partner) injured, ill or suffering from altitude sickness. Arranging for Medical Evacuation Insurance that includes helicopter retrieval is also highly recommended when travelling in remote locations.

For many people cruising is the ultimate vacation. However, in addition to following safe travel precautions for the destinations you will be visiting, it is also important to consider the health risks you may be exposed to while on board the ship – the large volume of people confined to the relatively small area of a cruise ship adds an extra layer of complication, and outbreaks of respiratory and gastro disease are not uncommon. Talking to your Travel Medicine GP will help you understand how to best protect yourself from outbreaks of illness and know what to do if you do get sick.

The joy of travelling is no different for senior travellers than it is for young back-packers. No matter what age you are it’s important to make sure that your plans fit your fitness. Physical limitations and medical conditions do not necessarily have to limit your travel plans, maybe just tweak them a little. Older travellers are generally more susceptible to illness and may experience more complications. Even recovering from jet lag can be harder. Seniors with medical conditions, physical restrictions, or regular medication should talk with a Travel Medicine GP about fitness for travel, how to care for your health while travelling, and any extra precautions and planning that you should consider to make your trip the trip of a lifetime.

Mass gatherings are just that – a large group of people gathering together in one location. It may be for something like a music festival or for a religious event, such as Haj. The problem is that illness and disease are able to spread faster and further in a tightly packed group. Large numbers of people in a confined space also presents risk from injury and places a high strain on local health care services if something does go wrong. Being aware of and taking steps to protect yourself from possible illness and injury is highly recommended. Your Travel Medicine GP can advise you on this.

The longer you stay in one destination the more risk you will have of being exposed to illness and disease. If you are a long-term traveller or working or studying abroad it is highly recommended to familiarise yourself with the health risks of your destination, how to protect yourself, and how to seek care when needed. It is also important to consider your mental health and the stress of being away from family and friends for an extended period of time. Children travelling outside Australia for long periods also need special consideration, especially if they are under 4 and have not yet completed their childhood vaccinations. 

Travellers returning overseas to visit friends or relatives can be at increased risk of illness, even if they have only been away for a short time, and especially when travelling to less developed countries or rural areas. Often this is because you are more likely to stay in local homes, stay longer, drink local water and eat from local street sources. Any immunity you may have developed when living there in the past may have disappeared, making you just as susceptible to illness as any tourist. For this reason, travellers returning overseas to visit friends and relatives are encouraged to seek specialist travel health advice.

Seeking medical procedures overseas is becoming more common, but it is not without risk. Cosmetic and dental procedures may be more affordable overseas or medical treatments that are not available in Australia may be readily accessible. Whatever your reasons for seeking medical care overseas it is recommended that you discuss your plans with your Travel Medicine GP so you are well informed about general travel health recommendations for the destination you are visiting, as well as advice specific to the risks of medical tourism, and travelling after surgery. It is also important to seek advice from your usual GP to inform them about your plans for treatment overseas, to make sure that any medical conditions you have are under control, and to request copies of any relevant medical information that may be useful for your health provider overseas.