Health risks for each individuals trip to Indonesia will vary greatly depending on exact location and itinerary – from the business traveller to overcrowded cities, tropical island family holidays and aid work in rural villages.
The following information provides some broad and general guidelines about health risks and recommendations for travel to Indonesia. This should not be taken as a substitute for a personal consultation with one of our travel health doctors, whose advice will be specific for you and your trip and may include some things not mentioned here.
Six to eight weeks out from departure is a good time to have a travel health consultation. You may need blood tests to check immunity to diseases or need a course of vaccines like rabies for example, and this gives you plenty of time to get everything completed. If you are travelling sooner however it's not too late for an appointment, simply make one as soon as you can.
In Indonesia mozzies transmit to humans a number of viruses which have been on the increase due to global warming, changing environments and human travel. While there are vaccines for Japanese encephalitis and medication to reduce the risk of malaria, mosquito avoidance is the only way to prevent many of these diseases.
Travellers diarrhoea, giardia and dysentery are just some of the illnesses caused by contaminated food and water. Tap water in Indonesia is not safe to drink.
To reduce your risk of gastro observe strict food and water safety precautions and good hand hygiene.
Everyone should be up to date for routine childhood immunisations and may need adult boosters for such diseases as tetanus, measles, polio and hepatitis B.
Additional vaccines may also be recommended depending on your individual medical history, current itinerary and the likelihood of future travel.
Hepatitis A is commonly recommended for travel to Bali, Lombok, Sumatra or Java.
Read MoreA food and water borne disease, typhoid vaccination is recommended for some itineraries.
There is very little risk in Bali and none in most of the main cities in Indonesia, however there is some risk on Lombok and isolated hotspots in central Java and much of rural Sumatra. It is best to seek expert advice from a travel health doctor about the need for preventive medication if travelling to risk areas. Mosquito avoidance is essential. Any fever occurring during or after travel requires prompt investigation to exclude malaria or other diseases.
Read MoreConsider pre-travel rabies vaccination (at least three weeks before departure) for longer trips, those at risk or anyone wanting lifelong protection. Avoid animals (particularly dogs, monkeys, cats and bats). Thoroughly rinse and disinfect any animal wound and seek prompt medical care for post exposure management (whether or not pre-vaccinated).
Read MoreIt is important to understand how to avoid this rare but potentially catastrophic mosquito borne disease. For those at significant risk there are a couple of vaccine options.
Read MoreInfluenza is one of the most common vaccine preventable illnesses in travellers. In tropical climates there is no 'flu season', risk being all year round.
Read MoreThere are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of gastro spoiling your trip, including taking a water filtration drink bottle and one of our customisable medication kits with guidelines for self-treatment.
Read MoreAn oral vaccine available for the prevention of cholera which also reduces the risk of travellers diarrhoea, is often taken by those wishing to significantly reduce their risk of gastro.
Read MoreIncreasing in incidence in many parts of the world, dengue is a serious mosquito borne disease.
Read MoreNot just a disease of South America, those travelling to Indonesia and other Asian destinations may be at risk of Zika virus.
Read MoreSpread through mosquito bites, this viral illness can present similar to Ross River virus, is usually less severe than dengue but may cause long term aches and pains.
See the Australian governments' website: smartraveller.gov.au
Never leave Australia without appropriate travel insurance.
Be sensible. Many accidents are alcohol related. Wear helmets on bikes and motorbikes. Have adequate insurance.
Abstain from sex or use protection. STD checks are available on return.
Severe penalties often apply for possession or trafficking. Potency and ingredients are highly variable and maybe lethal. Keep your luggage locked and don’t accept packages from strangers.
As there is no non-essential overseas travel at this time this article will simply remain as an information resource for COVID-19. See our main COVID-19 page for more detailed information. We hope to be able to inform our travelers once again after this crisis passes. The links below remain trustworthy
Over 48,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Sri Lanka since 1st October 2019, a significant increase in incidence. Travellers should observe strict mosquito avoidance measures, particularly during daylight hours.
As a result of recent outbreaks of measles in various countries, the Solomon Islands' will be requiring arriving travellers from/via American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, or Tonga to show proof of measles vaccination, effective December 28th 2019. Vaccination needs to have been at least 15 days prior and
© Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
