Health tips and vaccines for Indonesia

Prior to undertaking your journey in Indonesia or any other destination, it is important that you see a travel medicine specialist or a doctor familiar with travel medicine to inquire about preventive measures and proper responses to sickness in the area you plan to visit. Being a tropical country, Indonesia is not without risk. Here are a few tips and advice that might turn out to be useful.

Vaccines:

Although they’re not compulsory in Indonesia, the following updates are strongly recommended: Very important vaccines:

• Hépatitis A (one shot, 15 days prior to travelling, and a booster a few months later, and B (two doses with one month interval between the two, booster six months later)
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Poliomyelitis (polio)

Children Vaccines :

• BCG
• Hepatitis B
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Polio
• Whooping cough
• Haemophylus
• Measles, mumps, rubella 
• Hepatitis A, as soon as one year old
• Typhoid, as soon as 2 years of age
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Rabies (as soon as they can walk)

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What to put in my first aid kit

Prevention is better than cure. It would be wise to bring the following medication in your luggage for Indonesia: Anti diarrhea medications: Immodium and Zithromax (for acute diarrhea) Smecta dressing digestive Medication against nausea and vomiting : Vogalene Fever and moderate pain : Doliprane, paracetamol Severe pain : analgesic, such as, Ibuprofene (nonsteoridal anti-inflammatory drug) Stomach pain : Spasfon Itchiness : Diprosone cream Allergic reactions : Aerius Broad spectrum antibiotics and antibacterial (skin infections, infection ORL): Pyostacine Mosquito repellent Sun screen, after-sun body lotion and Biafine --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Risks in Indonesia  

Risks related to food and drinks

Parasites, viruses and bacteria transmitted through contaminated water and food can cause simple discomfort to serious medical problems such as, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, severe dehydration …. In Indonesia, risks of contamination by water or food are omnipresent. Tips to help prevent water or food contamination: Wash your hands Rinse fruits and vegetables in drinking water Never drink the tap water Avoid ice in your drinks unless you know the ice is made with bottled water  

Examples of diseases caused by infectious agents:

Poliomyelitis Travellers’ diarrhea (tourista) Viral hepatitis A – hemorrhagic type Giardiasis (intestine infection caused by Giardia Lamblia) Amibiasis (occurs in the large intestine, common in tropical countries) Typhoid Salmonellosis (caused by a bacteria of the Salmonella type) Shigellosis (diarrhea especially common in tropical areas) Ascariasis (caused by roundworms) Tæniasis (intestinal tapeworm ) Trichinosis (a disease caused by a worm, the trichinae) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Risks related to animals and insects

Numerous diseases are transmitted by animals and insects. The safest measure to protect yourself is to avoid having any contact at all with animals. Brief list of diseases transmitted by animals or insects:

• Malaria: transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. It is present in Papua, Maluku, Lesser Sunda Islands, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra and Lombok.  The best protection is insect repellent. Malaria pills are also recommended in certain regions (chemoprophylaxis by Atovaquone/Proguanil, Doxycyline, Méfloquine) There’s no risk of contracting malaria in urban areas.
• Dengue (transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito)
• Arbovirus (dengue hemorrhagic fever)
• Rickettsiosis (typhus scrub)
• Borréliosis
• Rabies (dogs and all wild animals)
• Envenomations (venomous bites)
• Lymphatic filariasis (blood-feeding black flies and mosquitos)

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Useful Info

If needed, you can always contact your Embassy in Jakarta. FRENCH EMBASSY ADDRESS: Jl. M. H. Thamrin 20, Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia Téléphone : (+62) 21 2355 7600 Fax :(+62) 21 2355 7601 Email : [email protected]

In France, further information concerning vaccines for Indonesia are available at centre médical de l’Institut Pasteur