We’re strong believers of keeping to what you know, which is why we love to create travel experiences and why we let the doctors and medical professionals provide health and vaccination advice.
What makes us happy, is seeing beautiful images of destinations which is why we’ve interspersed the medical information with some stunning photos of Peru…just for your enjoyment!
This blog article on Peru travel vaccinations has been prepared for general informational purposes and is therefore in no way a substitute for medical advice…so once you’ve read the rest of this article, make sure to book your medical appointment! What we can recommend is consulting professional medical advice at least 6 to 8 weeks in advance of your travel dates. This will allow enough time for them to assess your health risks according to your Peru travel destinations as well as giving sufficient time for any course of their recommended vaccines or medicines before your travel dates.
Before you travel
You may find that what your doctor recommends for vaccinations, medication and health advice is extremely targeted and personal.
The same way that we customize each Peru travel itinerary to your personal needs and interests, the medical professional will be doing exactly the same.
It is not uncommon that the doctor will take into account your current and past medical as well as vaccination history, your intended activities, the itinerary you have planned for you and the style of travel and accommodation. You should therefore share all of your information with them, or even better, why not take in and show off your customized travel itinerary that we have put together for you! With such a variety of altitudes and landscapes in Peru as well as, the time of year you travel and the length of your stay are all important factors that the doctor will normally take into account.
Camera’s charged…clothes are packed…what else…?
At the top of your list of things to pack and before you begin sorting through which clothes to take; make sure to pack your vaccination certificate (usually a yellow booklet) and your medication. You should bring your medication in their original and clearly labeled containers with a signed and dated letter from your physician describing your medical conditions if any, as well as your medications.
It’s worth mentioning to your doctor to use generic names as there are often similar medicines with different brand names due to the country of issue.
The small print at the end of any document can be a strain on the eyes however, pay special attention to your travel insurance documents! Look to see if your medical expenses are covered abroad and whether or not your insurance will make payments directly to the provider or reimburse you later for any overseas health expenditures.
Our unprofessional vaccine and medicine advice
As the lovely subheading above suggests, we are in no way medical professionals and we are providing the following advice as merely a guide, so that when you go to see your medical professional, you are able to ask all the right questions! Before any trip you take, whether that’s Peru, South America or anywhere else, you should make sure that you up-to-date on your routine vaccines. These generally include the MMR (measles-mumps- rubella) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, chickenpox (varicella) vaccine, polio vaccine and not forgetting your flu shot.
Each consultation with your doctor will provide different recommendations depending on the destinations and person involved.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for most travelers to get the Hepatitis A vaccine due to possible contaminated food or water in Peru. The CDC also recommends the Typhoid vaccine for most travelers especially if you’re planning on exploring the many local dishes and a bit of an adventurous eater or if you are visiting some of the smaller rural destinations in Peru. Based on where you are going and what you will be doing, your doctor may advise you to get the Hepatitis B, Malaria, Rabies and Yellow Fever vaccinations, so make sure to show them your travel plans!
Pre-travel preparation is the key to staying healthy
There are some great online resources to use which have a wealth of travel health advice. Aside from consulting your medical professional, it is always a good idea to check your government’s travel health website before you travel:
- Australia – http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
- Canada – http://www.travelhealth.gc.ca/
- United Kingdom – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
- USA – http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
Thanks for visiting our Central & South America Travel Blog! Feel free to contact one of our Travel Specialists via email, phone or chat to plan your perfect Peru itinerary.
