No compulsory vaccinations are required for any of the destinations featured on our website. However, disease risks can strike at any time and you are strongly advised to check with your GP at least 8 weeks before departure. Below is a table showing the inoculations currently recommended by the Department of Health. You will find up to date information from www.fco.gov.uk/travel/

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Food and Drink:

• Never drink or brush your teeth with tap water. Bottled water is cheap and safe. It is generally recommended you avoid salads, ice cubes and shellfish.
• Avoid any food, particularly in buffets, which has been left for long periods.
• The popular trend for body piercing and tattooing should be avoided abroad.
• Stay away from wild or stray animals - Rabies is a serious hazard.

Sports:

• Do not go scuba diving 24 hours before your flight. The 'bends' can be fatal.
• Over exertion in hot climates can be dangerous. Make sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
• Protect yourself from the sun.

Flights/Jet Lag:

Jet lag affects many functions of the human body which are regulated by our own internal clocks and therefore travelling through different time zones is bound to disrupt that cycle. Long haul flights can therefore induce fatigue, insomnia and lack of concentration. It can take several days for normality to return so to reduce these effects:

• Avoid alcohol during the flight and drink plenty of water. Ask the cabin crew for fresh drinking water or take a bottle.
• Avoid smoking or over eating.
• Choose a flight which arrives in the evening so you can sleep at a normal time.
• A nap during the flight can help so take a neck pillow and ask for a blanket
• On arrival try to adapt to the local time zone and avoid sleeping until bedtime.

DVT

Much has been written in the press about blood clots linked to cramped seating on long haul flights, so-called 'Economy Class Syndrome'. Now it appears short-haul passengers may also be at risk as the condition begins to develop in the first two hours, according to new research.

Limited leg room and reduced movement for long periods can cause the circulation to slow down or stop altogether. While research is still on-going passengers would be wise to follow a few simple precautions:

• Get up and stretch your legs by walking around the cabin every hour.
• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can trigger the effects by making the blood thick and sticky.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Don't take sleeping pills incase you stay in one position for too long.

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Jellyfish Stings:

• Remove the victim from the water.
  
• Rinse the affected area with salt water or don�t rinse it at all. Do NOT  rinse the involved area of skin with fresh water, because it will further activate nematocysts and worsen the reaction.
  
• Using protective gloves or forceps, remove any tentacles still in contact with the victim.
  
• Apply acetic acid (white vinegar) to inactivate any remaining nematocysts and to decrease the symptoms.
  
• Use over-the-counter painkillers  such as Ibuprofen to control the pain symptoms. Immobilize the area that was poisoned to prevent further spread. For example, if a foot was stung, encourage the victim to keep the area still with as little movement as possible.
  
• If the victim appears ill, do the following:
  • Call for an ambulance
  • If the victim begins vomiting, roll the victim onto his or her side so that the vomit is not breathed in.
    

Sunburn:

UV radiation from the sun causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Much depends on the strength of the UV radiation and your natural skin colour. The World health Organisation has developed a way to advise people about the strength of the sun's rays and works on a scale of 1 to 20. You will often hear this referred to on weather forecasts as the 'UV Index'.

According to new research there has been an alarming rise in the incidents of skin cancer among UK travellers and it can be directly linked to the fashion for exposing more of the skin to the sun. In the UK the UV Index is unlikely to get above 8. However, on a clear day near the Equator it might reach 16. UV Index levels of 10 are common in Mediterranean countries. Find out more below;

• For someone with white skin that tends to burn easily a UV Index reading of just 5 is high.
• Certain types if thin cloud can magnify the sun's radiation levels.
• Don't be fooled by a cool breeze.
• Stay in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm when the sun's radiation levels are highest
• Use sun cream factor 15 or above
• Take special care to protect babies and children

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Pool Health

According to a recent UK study swimming pools abroad can be a source of serious, sometimes fatal health problems

Microbiologists testing water samples found stomach-churning evidence of bacterial contamination which exposed the 'apparent incompetence of most hotels at maintaining effective levels of water disinfectant in their pools' (Holiday Which?).

The experts have the following advice:

• Murky water makes the disinfectant less effective. DON'T SWIM
• Debris on the surface or on the bottom can cause pollution. DON'T SWIM.
• Scummy with dirt and grease around the sides. DON'T SWIM
• Overcrowded pools may mean the treatment and filtration cannot cope. DON'T SWIM
• If water's too shallow to lap into grilles around the edge or in the side walls DON'T SWIM