Travel Vaccines for Bhutan

Recommended for most travellers. You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.

Safe food and water practices are the basis of prevention, but vaccination is also recommended for travel to this area. Immunity post-vaccination lasts for 2-3 years.

Rabies can be found in dogs, bats, and other mammals in this country, but it is not a major risk to most travellers. The vaccine is only recommended for these groups:

• Travellers involved in outdoor and other activities in remote areas that put them at risk for animal bites (such as adventure travel and caving).

• People who will be working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers).

• People who are taking long trips or moving to remote areas

Parts of this country are at high altitude. Altitude sickness is a risk at altitudes greater than 3000m and can be fatal. Symptoms include breathlessness, lethargy, confusion and coughing due to fluid in the lungs.

The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to ascend slowly, by less than 300m per day once over 3000m. Other tips to prevent altitude sickness include:

• Your doctor can prescribe medications such as acetazolamide to prevent altitude sickness.

• Increase your fluid intake. You may need up to seven litres every day.

• Avoid cigarettes and alcohol.

• Be aware that you are at increased risk of altitude sickness if you have experienced it before.

Wearing enclosed footwear in undeveloped areas is important to prevent hookworm. Hookworms penetrate through intact skin such as walking with bare feet, and can cause severe gastrointestinal and skin infections.

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis can damage a person’s lungs or other parts of the body and cause serious illness.

• Avoid exposure to people who have active tuberculosis.

• Only consume pasteurized milk products.

• Travellers at higher risk should be tested for tuberculosis upon their return home.

• There is a vaccine available which confers partial protection. Speak to your doctor to determine if this is recommended.