Remaining Healthy in Australia

Australia is a very special part in the world that contains many dangerous species, a person can face while travelling. Close contact to stonefishes, coneshells, stingrays, snakes and spiders can hurt a lot and most of the time result with death, if not treated on time. Therefore, it is wise to keep the emergency number, ("000"), in mind and not to hesitate to call an ambulance whenever necessary. Close to the city centers, an ambulance comes for help as fast as possible while Royal Flying Doctor Service is responsible of medical care in the outback. The medical treatment can cost a lot so it is recommended to buy a traveller's insurance before stepping on Australia.

Due to the high integrity of the nature in Australian way of life, some diseases may unexpectedly occur. Basic vaccination against tetanus, polio and diphtheria is a must. It is recommended to have some vaccination against hepatitis A and B as well. The mosquitoes are also not the cleanest animals. Creams against mosquitoes do not only help preventing diseases but also increase the level of comfort.

Sometimes it may be necessary to buy a medicine (that is being taken regularly) with a non-Australian prescription. In this case, the medicine may be found at drugstores but the foreign prescription should first be approved by an Australian doctor. The drugstores are open between Monday and Friday the whole day and on Saturdays half a day.

The natural sunblock of our Earth, ozone layer, is thinner on Australia than on anywhere else. This reduces the filtering effect against ultraviolet rays that have the ability to damage human DNA and cause cancer. Therefore, a sunblock is an important piece in the backpack in Australia. It is a must to use sunblock at all times under the sun and it is recommended to seek shade between 10am and 3pm to prevent being directly effected by the dangerous UV-rays. As an additional protection, sun glasses (with UV-filter) are being used widely.