25 Aug 2011
By: LAI YI MING
BEFORE she left for her studies in the United States, Ms Ng Xinyi went to the travel clinic at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) to make sure that she was in the pink of health.
Ms Ng, 25, says: “I needed to get the required vaccinations stipulated by the university as well as to make sure that I had all the necessary records.”
Her consultant, Dr Limin Wijaya from the department of infectious diseases at SGH, told her that she was missing a mumps and rubella vaccine booster and advised her on further tests to verify her health status.
Dr Wijaya also educated her on the basic medication to take along, in case she fell sick during the initial period, when she may not have easy access to health-care facilities.
Ms Ng is one of many people who have taken to visiting a travel clinic or their general practitioners (GP) for advice prior to travelling overseas.
Dr Mohamed Faizal, senior family physician, Raffles Medical, says: “More people are seeing their doctors before they go overseas because they are aware of the risk of travelling and want to get their immunisations updated.
“On top of that, the age range has increased from the very young to the elderly, and each group comes with medical issues. The number of people travelling with chronic medical conditions and disability has also increased.”
He adds that it is very costly to fall sick overseas and therefore it is better to get your health checked and optimised before a trip.
On top of general travel advice and getting a travel medicine kit, visiting the travel clinic may also allow you to be updated on your current status, and for those with medical conditions, they can get their treatment optimised.
Dr Faizal adds: “Travel clinics may be familiar with the current medical issues for a particular destination.
“But your regular GP may be more familiar with your medical condition, so there is a need to strike a balance. Basic travel vaccinations can be done at most GP clinics."
Getting vaccinated
As travelling to exotic locations gain popularity, vaccinations prior to travelling also become increasingly important.
Dr Faizal explains: “Travellers are no longer excited travelling with just a tour group and its ‘safe’ pre-planned itinerary.
They are more interested in backpacking, volunteering at the local village, trekking and hiking, which have their dangers.”
For instance, typhoid, which is caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi, is common in areas where water is likely to be contaminated with sewage and when handwashing is less frequent.
You can get typhoid if you consume food or water contaminated with the bacterium.
Typhoid vaccine is recommended for those who travel to smaller cities, villages or rural areas in countries with a high incidence of the disease. However, it is still important to watch what you drink, as vaccines are not completely effective.
Four to six weeks is a recommended time frame to get vaccinations and medical condition optimised and also to have all the necessary health checks done.
Dr Faizal says: “My personal opinion is that it is better if you could come in three to six months ahead, as this allows even more time to get everything sorted out, especially if it is for a prolonged trip.”
He adds: “With some simple injections, you are protecting yourselves against a nightmare of a holiday.
“The World Health Organization has some information and updates, but it is best to check with your doctor. Some immunisations are not lifelong and a booster is necessary if a period has lapsed.”
Dr Wijaya says some vaccinations require a few injections to complete prior to the trip and the protection by a vaccine is not immediate, as it takes time for the antibody to respond. In general, this takes approximately two weeks.
However, the travel clinic will tailor recommendations to the traveller, so it is worth making the visit, adds Dr Wijaya.
After the holiday
Post-travel care is also an important aspect of the services that are provided at travel clinics.
For instance, getting sick after returning home may call for the need to consult a doctor for travel-related illnesses such as fever and diarrhoea.
This is because sometimes the cause of fever varies according to where the patient went.
Says Dr Wijaya: “Travel clinics which are run by infectious disease specialists or those trained in travel medicine, such as in SGH, and other centres, will also be able to provide post-travel care.”
In particular, post-travel care is important for people who have chronic conditions or those who experience persistent health problems upon their return.
Apart from fever and diarrhoea, other problems to note include vomiting, jaundice, urinary tract or genital infections and skin disorders.
Click for jpeg format
« Back to previous
page
back to top