Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral illness that can be passed on through contaminated food and water. It spreads easily, and because you are travelling, it can be harder to protect yourself. Unlike Hep B, Hep A is not a part of Australia’s childhood immunisations, so you probably aren’t vaccinated against it (unless you have travelled before).
Should I get vaccinated against hepatitis A before going to India?
Most travel health clinics recommend that you get vaccinated against Hepatitis A before travelling to India. To protect yourself even further, a booster at 6-12 months will provide you with 20-year immunity against Hep A.
What is the difference between Hep A, Hep B and Hep C?
They are both viral liver infections. However, they are transmitted very differently.
Hepatitis A is an acute infection that usually comes from contaminated food and water. It will often improve in time without treatment.
Hepatitis B is spread through contact with bodily fluids. This could be via sexual intercourse with an infected person or through contaminated needles that might be used for medical treatment, tattoos or a body piercing. Hep B can cause a chronic infection that could lead to liver disease.
Hep C is a blood-borne virus that is passed on through blood-to-blood contact. This could be through using contaminated needles, unscreened blood transfusions or sexual intercourse.
Typhoid
Typhoid is a potentially life-threatening infection that’s caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi. It is also spread via contaminated water and food. Typhoid is more commonly found in countries with poor sanitation, poor hand hygiene and untreated drinking water.
Around 50-70 people return to Australia from their travels with typhoid each year, and symptoms may take up to two weeks to appear. The typhoid vaccine is recommended for travel to India.
Should I get vaccinated against typhoid before going to India?
Typhoid is one of the commonly recommended vaccinations for India, especially for travellers who will be living with an Indian family, staying in rural areas or eating adventurously!
The typhoid vaccine can be administered orally or via injection; it can also be administered alongside the Hep A vaccine. Book an appointment with a travel health clinic to arrange the most appropriate method for you.
Mosquito-borne illnesses in India
When travelling through India, you may be exposed to several mosquito-borne illnesses, including Malaria, Dengue Fever and Japanese Encephalitis.
Some mosquito-borne illnesses can be vaccinated against (for example, Japanese Encephalitis). Trying to avoid bites is the best form of disease control.
Tips to protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Wear long, loose-fitting clothing
- Use a mosquito net at night
- Use air con at night
- Use a bug spray, preferably a Deet-based one
Malaria:
There is a malaria risk throughout the whole country, below 2000m. Book an appointment with our healthcare professionals before you leave Australia to chat about the risks relative to your itinerary.
Should I take anti-malarial tablets when traveling to India?
When it comes to malaria, you must discuss the best course of action to take with a qualified Travel Vaccination Clinic doctor.
Malaria is a complex mosquito-borne illness with various strands and drugs available. Different medications may not be able to be taken by people with depression or other illnesses either, so it is essential to have a proper conversation with the doctor about this before requesting medication.
Dengue Fever:
Dengue fever is also present in India and is transmitted by mosquito bites. There is no specific vaccine against it, but following the healthy travel advice on this website and avoiding mosquito bites should help reduce your risk of contracting this flu-like virus.
Japanese Encephalitis:
Japanese encephalitis can be passed on through mosquito bites. Depending on where in India you are travelling and the time of year, there may be a risk of infection. Most cases in Indian states are reported between May and October, so if you are travelling during this time, you might want to add this one to your list of travel vaccines.
Should I get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis before going to India?
Even on a short trip of less than one month, you should consider this vaccine. If you will be spending a lot of time outdoors or in rural areas or sleeping in accommodation without air-conditioning and mosquito nets during the night, we strongly suggest you arrange this as part of your India vaccinations. The doctor will be able to determine your level of risk and recommend whether you need this vaccination.
Rabies
Rabies is a very severe disease that can be contracted via bites from infected animals. At present, half the world’s rabies cases occur in India.
You should consider a preventative or pre-exposure vaccine against rabies if your trip will involve outdoor activities, if you plan to stay for an extended period, if you plan on working with animals or if you will be visiting rural areas.
Children are at high risk of rabies as they often play with animals and might not report small animal bites, so it is especially important to arrange this vaccine for kids.
Should I get vaccinated against rabies before going to India?
The rabies vaccine may not be recommended for short stays, depending on where you are going and what you plan to do. Speak to the doctor about the individual risks you face. Even after the vaccination, you should do your best to avoid animal bites wherever possible. If you get bitten by an animal whilst you are in India, seek medical treatment as quickly as possible.
Yellow Fever
While there is no risk of yellow fever transmission within India itself, the Indian government takes any reported infection in other countries seriously. Depending on where you have travelled before, you might need to prove you have not contracted yellow fever, or you might need to prove you have the yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Sub-Saharan Africa and Tropical South America are the main areas where yellow fever transmission is most prevalent. If you have travelled to any high-risk country in these areas before arriving in India, you might be detained for 6 days unless you can prove you have been vaccinated.
