Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
If you plan to travel from Taiwan to a country with a typhoid problem you should get the
vaccination elsewhere as Taiwan does not have typhoid vaccinations.
Check
MD Travel Health
(
www.mdtravelhealth.com
) and with your local travel health
clinic about recommended vaccinations for travellers to Taiwan.
WEBSITES
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(
www.cdc.gov
) Good general information.
Lonely Planet
(
www.lonelyplanet.com
)
A good place to visit for starters.
MD Travel Health
(
www.mdtravelhealth.com
)
Provides complete travel-health recom-
mendations for every country including Taiwan. Revised daily.
World Health Organization
(
www.who.int/ith
) Publishes a superb book called
Interna-
tional Travel and Health,
revised annually and available free online. There is no informa-
tion on Taiwan, however.
In Taiwan
AVAILABILITY & COST OF HEALTH CARE
Taiwan is a developed country with excellent universal medical coverage. Most medical
care is cheaper than in Western countries. Many doctors are trained in Western countries
and speak at least some English.
In rural areas the quality of health care is not as high but Taiwan is small and you
should be able to get to a good hospital in a few hours.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Dengue Fever
This mosquito-borne disease causes sporadic problems in Taiwan in both
cities and rural areas (mostly urban areas). Prevention is by avoiding mosquito bites -
there is no vaccine. Mosquitoes that carry dengue bite day and night. Symptoms include
high fever, severe headache and body ache (previously dengue was known as 'break-
bone fever').
Hepatitis A & B
All travellers to Taiwan should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.
Japanese B Encephalitis
Potentially fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, but
rare in travellers. Transmission season runs June to October. Vaccination is recommen-
ded for travellers spending more than one month outside of cities.
Rabies
Taiwan had its first rabies outbreak in 60 years in 2013. At the time of writing it
was limited to a small number of ferret-badgers and house shrews.
