Be safe

First-aid kit

I don’t mention the name of the drugs: it can be inadvisable in your case and you have to check if it’s legal in your destination country. You should also verify their compatibility with your other medical treatments and your malaria medication.

• An antiseptic solution
• Sterile compresses
• Antidiarrhea medication
• Headache medication
• Antimalaria drug (depending on your destination)
• Plasters
• Suncream
• Lighter
• Small cords

Optional:

• Eye drops
• Anti-nauseant
• Mosquito repellents
• Second skin blister plasters
• Tick forceps

Take the minimum depending on your sensitivity. It also depends on your mode of transportation, but you shouldn’t do a raid in the mountains or in a desert: there are always some people around you and the next pharmacy is probably maximum 1 hour away. If your issue is so bad that you cannot wait 1 hour, your first-aid kit is already useless. If you have an important injury, just ask for help. And don’t forget to call your insurance before doing any costly operation.

Vaccines

Find below the main vaccines you may need. Price are informative.

• Diphtheria, polio and tetanus – one injection, 20€
• Typhoid – one injection, 35€
• Hepatitis A – one injection, can be combined with typhoid or hepatitis B, 29€
• Hepatitis B – two injections, 37€
• Japanese encephalitis – two injections, 164€
• Meningitis vaccines – one injection, 56€
• Rabies – three injections, 165€
• Measles and rubella – one injection, 25€
• Yellow fever – one injection, 73€
• Influenza – one injection, 15€

The appointment with a doctor from travel medicine department usually costs 10€ in France, and vaccines are injected for free. Japanese encephalitis and rabies are injected following a precise schedule, so visit your doctor at least one month before you leave the country.

For detailed information about the health condition in every country, check this website of the Canadian government:

Foreign Travel Advice

As regards to the vaccines, some may be refundable by your personal insurance, as well as the malaria pills depending on whether they are used when the sickness appears or in prevention before. Be aware that malaria has several categories, you can die or you can have nervous disability if you are not well protected. If your country doesn’t refund a part of the expenses, health budget can be quite important.

Insurance

The travel insurance of the Premier Visa or Gold Mastercard protects you somehow for 3 months. However it is limited: for instance it does not cover the transportation to the hospital which can reach huge amounts. In Asia, instead of saving money doing 3 months with the card and 3 with an insurance, I preferred to take 7 months with a correct insurance, to cover also an extra month in case of delay. Chaptka and AVI are the most used in France, you probably have some in your countries.

You will need this insurance for some visas: upload the document on your phone and print it one or two times. The insurance also provides you a form to give to the doctor or the hospital administration. Save it and print it too. Whenever something happens, call the insurance before doing anything.

Cost: 40€/month

Such a cost may appear useless knowing how difficult it is to get your money back from an insurance. However don’t be too confident… You can save money elsewhere.