134 CultureShock! Egypt
doors and open windows throughout. Most commonly, small
Egyptian private hospitals are equipped to handle general
medical problems, with only somewhat limited access to
surgical procedures or physical therapy. Only a few major
hospitals are built on the Western model and equipped with
modern technology. Get an up-to-date listing of hospitals and
doctors from your Embassy.
It will probably be in your best interest to make sure any
specialised health service you need on a maintenance basis
is available before going to Egypt. For example, if you are
going to need allergy injections on a regular basis, you may
want to bring the vaccine with you to cover the time you
expect to be in Egypt. In this case, you might also want to
be sure to purchase a disposable syringe at a local pharmacy,
just in case the doctor you go to only has reusable syringes.
Similar precautions should be taken for situations such
as diabetes.
Unless you are coming from a cholera prevalent area,
no immunisations are required to get into Egypt. However,
some potentially life-threatening diseases occur often enough
in Egypt to warrant consideration of immunisation prior to
arrival. Immunisations to consider include: Viral Hepatitis A
(HAVRIX); Hepatitis B; Typhoid; Poliomyelitis; and Tetanus/
diphtheria. A final issue to discuss with your physician is a
pre-exposure rabies vaccine. Anyone having the pre-exposure
rabies vaccination series will still have to undergo post-rabies
treatment, but the treatment is milder than for someone who
has not had the pre-exposure vaccine.Immunisation Guidelines
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta,
Georgia, has immunisation recommendations for travel to Egypt.
The latest assessment from the CDC can be accessed at:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/.
Similar programmes and recommendations exist through major
public health entities or from your government in most countries
throughout Europe. Check with your physician before leaving for
Egypt to ensure that you have all recommended immunisations.