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Visit your doctor or local travel clinic about two months before you go anywhere as some vaccinations take this long to do.

Common immunizations include;

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Diphtheria
• Meningitis ACWY
• Influenza
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Tick Borne Encephalitis
• Rabies
• Yellow Fever
• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Tuberculosis (BCG)

Even though you may have had vaccines in the past, you may need a booster so get advice from your doctor even if you think you do not need any jabs.

Ask your doctor to provide you with a vaccination certificate to take with you - useful if you get questioned anywhere (in particular Africa where they may ask to see your Yellow Fever certificate)

You may also need malaria prophylaxis if visiting a malarial region. The three main types are Larium, Doxycycline and Malarone, and again, your GP will advise you on the best type to take.

If you are visiting a malarial region, don't think that the medication will prevent you from getting malaria. It won't. It just suppresses the disease. Make sure you take other precautions such as;

• Wearing DEET.
• Covering up especially at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are more likely to be out.
• Using mosquito nets at night.
• Using mosquito coils.
• Soaking your clothes in permethrin.

Malaria is a potentially fatal disease and should be taken seriously. We're lucky enough to afford the precautions listed, so take them. Lecture over!

Other nasties abroad include dengue fever, food or water poisoning, bilharzia, heat stroke, sunburn and altitude sickness.

Useful websites for more comprehensive reading include;

http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/

http://www.istm.org/

http://www.malaria.org/

Finally if you're going away for any length of time, it's wise to also take a trip to your dentist for a check up and to your optician as well. You'll also want to buy a first aid kit (these are available from any good camping store and are reasonably priced)