NOTE: You are responsible for your health preparation. These notes are offered as suggestions only and are not comprehensive. See your doctor for full health advice.
Rural South East Asia is generally a very healthy place to live, so please do not be overly concerned about health risks! However, you may decide to take some health precautions. Issues to be concerned with:
- Perhaps most important is to make sure you are up-to-date on standard (global) vaccinations: tetanus-diphtheria, measles and polio.
- Malaria. We may possibly visit areas with malaria, and you may choose to take prophylaxis. The drugs of choice are Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) or doxycycline. Unfortunately, Malarone is very expensive. We strongly recommend you do not take meflaquine (Lariam), which will probably be the drug first offered by your physician. Meflaquine gives many people mild to severe psychotic side-effects, and is being phased out as a recommended drug in many countries. You, and the staff, will have a better trip without your suffering from paranoia, psychotic breaks and extreme nightmares! Side effects from doxycycline are rare, but may include GI upset and sun sensitivity. We will have anti-malarial treatment drugs in our First Aid kit, and you will nowhere be too far from a hospital. Students from tropical countries will have experience with malaria, and will probably choose not to take prophylaxis. The best way to prevent malaria is not to get bitten: bring strong (100% DEET) insect repellent, and possibly a mosquito net.
- Hepatitis A & B. You don't want to get these, but you will most likely be no more exposed in Borneo than you are in your home country. However, you may seek vacination as a global precaution. In the US, Twinrix is a combined Hep A/Hep B vaccine.
- Typhoid. Rare, but unpleasant. The single-dose vaccine gives moderate protection (50-80% of recipients), and apparently is not too expensive. Consider this.
- Japanese Encephalitis. Extremely rare, but you still might consider getting vaccinated (expensive).
- Intestinal trouble. You almost certainly will have a day or so of travelers' diarrhea, not because of poor hygiene/bad food, but because your gut flora will be making new friends and there will be some jostling for position! Keeping hydrated is really the best treatment. You are very unlikely to encounter serious strains of typhoid or cholera. However, good hospitals are nearby should you contract something serious.
Perhaps the single, most important discipline for staying healthy anywhere in the world is to wash your hands often, and always before eating!
Further information
- The CDC maintains an up-to-date site on travelers' health.