Jabs, Health & Safety

Here are links and information about Jabs, Health & Safety.  The Responsible Photography Holidays team are not medically trained and therefore cannot advise you. To stay healthy on holiday, take a look at the links and make a travel appointment with your local nurse or doctor.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office - travel
National Travel Health Network and Centre
NHS fit for travel
Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Overseas (MASTA)
Department of Health
NHS Direct UK
Swine flu pandemic
Healthcare Abroad - NHS England
Travelling with CHILDREN

Personal Safety

The FCO advises that travellers to add LOCATE to their usual pre-travel checklist. Registering details of your trip will help embassy and crisis staff track you down in the event of  a  serious crisis. It's also a good idea to let a family member or friend know about your travel plans.  Responsible Photography Holidays will request emergency contact information when you book your holiday.

• Get comprehensive travel insurance
• Find out about vaccinations
• Research the local laws and customs of your destination/s
• Take photocopies of important documentation  or store copies online using a secure data storage site
• If travelling in Europe, take your EHIC
• Register details of your trip with LOCATE. on the FCO website home page.

What to think about when planning a trip to Morocco - British nationals don't need a visa, but allow time for any vaccinations you might need.  Please check with your doctor. Please bring a medical kit that meets your personal medical needs together with a basic first aid, sterile medical kit, remedies for travellers diarrhoea and medicated hand gel. There is no electricity on some holidays - please check carefully if you require, for example, a fridge to keep any medication.  We are on hand to share our own experience but for medical advice please refer to your Nurse or Doctor. It is a good idea to carry a Doctors prescription with your for prescribed medication.

What to think about when planning a trip to Rwanda - British nationals don't need a visa for a short holiday, but allow time for the vaccinations that are required, and malaria tablets are a necessity.  Please check with your Doctor and please buy your malaria tablets from a reputable source, preferably your Doctor.  Please bring a medical kit that meets your personal medical needs together with a basic first aid, sterile medical kit, remedies for travellers diarrhoea and medicated hand gel. We have a comprehensive list of things we suggest you take and are on hand to share our own experience but for medical advice please refer to your Nurse or Doctor.  Electricity is often turned off during the day so please talk tous, in confidence, if you have requirements, for example, a fridge in which to keep any medication. It is a good idea to carry a Doctors prescription with you for prescribed medicine

What to think about when planning a trip to Ethiopia - British Nationals require a visa to enter Ethiopia (Link). PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN A VISA IS ISSUED IT IS VALID FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE AND NOT THE DATE OF ARRIVAL IN ETHIOPIA. We advise applying for your visa in advance and will issue a letter confirming the dates of your holiday and organiser details. A 3 month visa costs £18.00.  Please allow time for the vaccinations that are required, and malaria tablets are a necessity - check with your Doctor and please buy malaria tablets from a reputable source, preferably your Doctor. Please bring a medical kit that meets your personal medical needs together with a basic first aid, sterile medical kit, remedies for travellers diarrhoea and medicated hand gel. We have a comprehensive list of things we suggest you take and are on hand to share our own experience but for medical advice please refer to your Nurse or Doctor.  Electricity is often turned off during the day so please talk to us, in confidence, if you have requirements, for example, a fridge in which to keep any medication. It is a good idea to carry a Doctors prescription with your for prescribed medication.

What to think about when planning a trip to China - British Nationals require a visa to enter mainland China. Visas must be obtained prior to arrival and cost £30.00 for a single entry.  Passports should be valid for a minimum of 6 months from your date of arrival in China. The FCO has health advice for China - visit link   Please allow time for the vaccinations that are required, and malaria tablets - for up to date health and travel advice please make an appointment to see your  Nurse or Doctor. Please bring a medical kit that meets your personal medical needs together with a basic first aid, sterile medical kit, remedies for travellers diarrhoea and medicated hand gel. We have a comprehensive list of things we suggest you take and are on hand to share our own experience but for medical advice please refer to your Nurse or Doctor.   Please talk to us, in confidence, if you have requirements, for example, a fridge in which to keep any medication. It is a good idea to carry a Doctors prescription with you for prescribed medication. All visitors to China are required to register within 24 hours of arrival and to carry their passport at all times.

What to think about when traveling with Children - Some Countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility  before allowing lone parents to enter, or in some cases, leave a Country. If you are travelling with a child that is not your own, for example, a niece, godchild or friend's child, then written permission and documentary evidence must be provided.  Further advice available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Information to help you stay healthy on a Responsible Photography Holiday

Personal Hygiene
Many diseases are transmitted by what is known as the 'faecal-oral' route. To help prevent this, ALWAYS wash your hands with soap and clean water after going to the toilet, before eating, before handling food and after scrambling over rocks etc (when you've been after that elusive photograph!).  We strongly advise and request you to carry a medicated hand gel and mediwipes which can be kept in your daypac at all times.

Malaria
Malaria tablets are required for Rwanda and Ethiopia. Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease.

Water
Diseases can be caught from drinking contaminated water, or by swimming in it.  If you do not know the water supply is safe where you are travelling or staying, then only use (in order of preference)

1. Boiled Water
2. Bottled Water
3. Water treated by a sterilising agent

Swimming
Avoid swimming in fresh water lakes or streams as you can catch a disease known as Bilharzia, which is a parasitic disease. It is safer to swim in water that is well chlorinated. Where protective footwear all the time as other diseases can be caught from sand and soil, particularly wet soil.

Food
There's a saying, 'Cook it, peel it or leave it'.  On a Responsible Photography Holiday we eat well cooked, fresh food. It is recommended to avoid local ice cream, food bought from street vendor's stalls, shell fish and to never drink unpasteurised milk.   

Travellers Diarrhoea
Yes, we all suffer from it at some time during our travels - it's the most common illness.  By following the guidelines on Personal Hygiene, Water, Food and Swimming you can help prevent it.  The main danger of the illness is dehydration. Gail always travels with a rehydrating powder,  Diorlyte (blackcurrent flavour!); there is also Electroade - ask your Nurse or Doctor what they suggest you take. Also ask which Anti Diarrhoeal Tablets to take.

Insect Bites
Mosquitoes, certain types of flies, ticks and bugs can cause many different diseaes, e.g. malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever. Some bite at night and some during the day.  You can help avoid being bitten by covering up as much skin as possible at dusk/night - mosquitoes that transmit malaria bite from dusk to dawn.  Light coloured clothes, long sleeves and trousers are good protection together with a strong insect repellent on exposed skin.  

Hepatitis B and HIV Infection
These diseases are transmitted by blood transfusion, medical procedures with non sterile equipment, sharing of needles and sexual contact.  Ways to protect yourself include travelling with a sterile medical kit and only accepting a blood transfusion when essential.

Animal Bites
As a frequent traveller, Gail has been vaccinated against Rabies. Please take advice from your Nurse or Doctor. If a person develops rabies, death is 100% certain. Even if you have a rabies vaccine prior to travel, post exposure treatment has to be sort as soon as possible if you are exposed to the disease. 

Travel Related Deep Vein Thrombosis
DVT is a serious condition where blood clots develop in the deep veins of the legs. Please get advise from your Nurse or Doctor. During a Responsible Photography Holiday you'll get lots of exercise!

Travel Insurance
It is a condition of traveling on a Responsible Photography Holiday that you take out adequate travel and medical insurance cover for your trip which should include medical repatriation (without it this service is extremely expensive). Please make sure you advise the insurance company of any pre existing medical conditions and check the small print of the policy thoroughly.  Morocco is in the European Economic Area so whilst an EHIC is valid for reduced cost local medical care, Medical and Travel insurance is necessary and a condition of booking.

Sun and Heat
Sun Hat, Sun cream and keep hydrated (drink lots of water - easy to forget when you're busy taking photos - but we'll remind you!!) Remember that alcohol can make you dehydrated.

Thank-you to NHS Southbourne Surgery for their help in compiling the medical and health information on this page.