Last updated: November 2025
Written by Dr James Knox, Director of Glide Online Travel Clinic
Travelling internationally is exciting, but preparing for a trip involves more than flights, passports and packing. Across different published research studies, one pattern stands out clearly:
A commonly forgotten part of international travel is health preparation.
There are hundreds of online checklists available for international travel, in this one we’re going to focus on the point which is arguably the most important. Many travellers overlook essential preventive steps that protect them from illness overseas. These include vaccines, malaria prevention, travel medications, and preparing for region-specific health risks.
This guide outlines the key health prevention opportunities, why they matter, and what to do at each stage of your preparation.
1. The Most Overlooked Aspect of International Travel: Your Health
Particularly if you're young and healthy, many people assume that if you have travel insurance and basic supplies, you're covered. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
Each year many Australians have their holidays ruined by preventable illnesses – dengue, hepatitis A, traveller’s diarrhoea, malaria, influenza, and more – simply because the health component of their planning was left until the last minute or forgotten altogether. And when it comes to most of these diseases, having your holiday ruined is the least of your worries.
Good health preparation protects your holiday, your finances and, most importantly, your long-term wellbeing.
And it's not just for exotic destinations. All overseas travellers, regardless of where they are going, are recommended to make sure their vaccination coverage is up to date.
2. Why Early Health Planning Matters
Some vaccines require multiple doses to provide full protection. Some medications (such as antimalarials) need to be accessed and started before departure.
Recommended timing:
- 6–8 weeks before travel: ideal time for a travel medicine consultation
- At least 4 weeks before travel: start your vaccination schedule
- 2 weeks before departure: have completed all recommended vaccinations, your body needs this time to develop its full immunity
If you are travelling to Southeast Asia, India, the Pacific, Africa or elsewhere in the tropics, early planning is particularly important due to the wider range of preventable infectious diseases in these regions.
3. Essential Pre-Travel Health Consultation (6–8 Weeks Before Departure)
A travel health consultation is the part most travellers forget – but it should be the first thing on your checklist.
At a comprehensive pre-travel consult, your doctor or nurse will:
Assess destination-specific health risks
Different regions have different disease patterns. Your itinerary, accommodation style and planned activities all affect your risk profile.
Update routine vaccinations
This includes tetanus, measles, influenza, and others.
Recommend travel-specific vaccines
Depending on your destination, these may include:
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis B
- Japanese encephalitis
- Rabies
- Yellow fever (required for parts of Africa; certificate needed for entry into certain countries)
- Meningococcus
Discuss malaria prevention (if applicable)
Some regions require antimalarial tablets to be started before travel.
Provide prescriptions and letters
Including:
- Prescription medications
- Antimalarials
- Stand-by therapy for traveller’s diarrhoea
- Letters for customs if you carry regular medication or medical devices
Review pre-existing medical conditions
Climate, altitude, and food/water quality can impact chronic health issues.
Seeing a clinician early gives you time to get all of this done before travelling.
4. Region-Specific Health Risks: What Travellers Commonly Miss
Below is a high-level overview of just some of the health risks relevant to Australian travellers visiting Southeast Asia, India, the Pacific and Africa. For other destinations see our Travel Health guide. Beyond anything you can read on the internet, a personalised consultation with an experienced travel doctor is the best way to get tailored recommendations for your exact itinerary and make sure you’re covered.
Southeast Asia (e.g., Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia)
Commonly overlooked risks include:
- Hepatitis A and typhoid
- Dengue and Japanese encephalitis (especially for rural or extended stays)
- Rabies risk from monkeys, dogs and cats
- Bali belly and other gastrointestinal infections
India
Key risks include:
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis A
- Rabies (high risk in many regions)
- Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria
- Poor air quality in many cities
The Pacific (e.g., Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Vanuatu)
Risks vary widely but commonly include:
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid (in some areas)
- Dengue, with recent outbreaks in some countries
- Zika (in some regions)
- Malaria in PNG and other countries
- Skin infections and coral cuts
Africa
Travellers often underestimate:
- Yellow fever (vaccine required for entry into some countries)
- Malaria (high risk in many regions)
- Typhoid and hepatitis A
- Rabies risk
- Traveller’s diarrhoea
- Meningococcal disease (in some areas of central Africa)
Many illnesses in these regions are preventable with appropriate vaccines and advice.
5. What to Pack: Medical Essentials Travellers Commonly Forget
A well-prepared medical kit can prevent minor illnesses from disrupting your trip. In addition to medications prescribed by your travel doctor, items to consider include:
- Any prescription medications (in original labelled packaging)
- A letter from your doctor listing your medications
- Oral rehydration salts
- Antidiarrhoeal medication
- Medical-grade insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Antihistamines
- Hand sanitiser
- Dressings and basic first-aid supplies
- Motion sickness medication
- SR Melatonin for jet lag (for some itineraries)
- A small thermometer
- Face masks (for crowded or high-risk environments)
6. Final Health Checks the Day Before You Travel
The night before your trip, run through a final checklist:
- Travel insurance documents (including medical evacuation cover)
- Your vaccination records (some countries require them)
- Adequate supply of prescription medications
- Copies of your passport, itinerary and emergency contacts
- Confirmation that your antimalarial tablets (if prescribed) are packed
- Local currency or a plan for cash withdrawals
- Phone charger, power adaptor and offline maps
These small steps help ensure a safe and healthy start to your trip.
Conclusion
International travel is rewarding, but your health preparation is the element most travellers forget - and the one that can make the biggest difference.
By planning early, getting the right vaccinations, and preparing for destination-specific risks, you can travel with confidence and minimise the chance of preventable illness.
About the Author
Dr James Knox is the Director of Glide Online Travel Clinic and a specialist doctor with over 25 years' experience. He provides personalised, evidence-based advice on vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, gastroenteritis prevention and destination-specific disease risks for Australians about to travel overseas.