Medical and Vaccination Advice for Travelers to Nepal

Last updated on August 13th, 2021 at 08:56 am

Nepal is a wonderful country to visit and live in. Tens of millions of people live here and some of the happiest people in the world live under the foothills of the Himalayas. You may be considering traveling to see your family or to see Mt. Everest. Yet health worries may keep you up at night.

In this article, we cover a variety of topics that you may be thinking about as you travel to or live in Nepal. Should you get special vaccines? Should you bring medicine? What should you and must you not eat? What should you do were you to get sick? And so on. We cover some of the common questions locals and travelers to Nepal ask here to be of service.

Were you to have questions or need our services, feel free to email us at info@clinicone.com.np or message us on our social or call us a direct call at 9861966614. We are open 7 days a week and available for prompt service at our clean convenient clinic in Jawalkhel Kathmandu.

See also: Immunization Schedule for Travelers

What do you do if you get a dog lick or dog bite or a monkey scratch in Kathmandu Nepal?

A dog lick or a dog bite or a monkey scratch isn’t essentially a threat unless the animal is rabid but for precautionary purposes, it is better to consult a doctor and get Rabies Vaccine. Even a small scratch from a dog or monkey can cause rabies if the animal was a rabid animal.

Usually, pet dogs in Kathmandu Nepal are vaccinated, so there is no need for panic if they accidentally or playfully scratches you, but it’s essential to confirm with the pet owner just in case.

Stray dogs and monkeys in Kathmandu Nepal are mostly prone to the disease. A rabid dog or monkey carries the virus in its saliva, thus any kind of contact with its saliva may lead to the disease, (i.e. through a lick, cut, scratch or bite).

Rabies Vaccination is administered in two distinct cases i.e.

• Pre-Exposure Vaccination
  It is administered to those people who have a high risk of exposure to rabies. Travelers traveling to places of higher risks or isolated areas where there is limited access to immediate medical treatment or have a short supply of rabies vaccine are advised to get immunized with the vaccine as a preventative measure. The vaccination is administered on days 0, 7, 28, 1 year and a booster dose is provided every five years after that.

• Post-Exposure Vaccination
  It is administered to those people who have already been exposed to the Rabies Virus. The infected individual must get the shot within six days of exposure under the direct supervision of a physician. The five-dose regimen is given on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28 into the deltoid muscle of the wounded individual.

Immediate Wound Treatment
Immediate local treatment of all bite wounds and scratches by a rabid animal is important. We recommend to thoroughly wash the wound with ample water or detergent for 15 minutes. Remember that the wound must not be covered with bandages as it increases the virus’s effectiveness. It should be kept open to the air. Then, rush to a nearby hospital or clinic or medical center and get the Rabies Vaccine shot. You can find a small medical center or pharmacy on almost every corner of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Additional information:
The wound should not be sutured for seven days and RIG (rabies immunoglobulin) should always be administered before suturing. Prescriptions of antibiotics and the status of tetanus vaccination must be checked as per institutional anti-tetanus procedures.

Note for previously vaccinated individuals:
If the vaccine is administered to the subjects within 5 years of previous immunization (cell culture rabies vaccine), two booster doses of vaccine are to be administered via TM route on day 0 and day 3. If the vaccine was administered more than five years ago, vaccination schedule as per Post- Exposure Treatment may be followed.

I am traveling in Nepal and have heard of Diarrhea. Should I get Typhoid Vaccine?

The risk of typhoid fever and diarrhea is high for travelers in Nepal. Therefore, we recommend travelers to get Typhoid Vaccine while traveling to smaller cities or rural areas in Nepal. Typhoid is usually communicated through contaminated food and water and it exhibits flu-like symptoms. So, sometimes it gets hard for immediate diagnosis. We recommend the Typhoid vaccine if you are a foodie or an adventurous eater and have an appetite for trying out delicacies from different parts of the country.

Who should get a Typhoid vaccine?
Although younger children are highly prone to the disease, we recommend that almost everyone above 2 years of age get the necessary dose of Typhoid Vaccine while traveling.

Furthermore, during your visit to Nepal, we advise that you use proper and safe sanitary practices like washing of hands, drinking purified or boiled water only and eating in a clean environment, to reduce the risk of these diseases.

The trekking areas of Nepal are remote and have limited access to immediate treatments and health centers due to the landscapes and weather conditions. So, it is better to get vaccinated in Kathmandu before traveling to other areas.

Travelers’ Diarrhea
Travelers’ diarrhea is the most prevailing travel-related ailment. The main cause of this infection is contamination in water and food, due to poor hygiene maintenance. However, diarrhea can be limited or recovered from within several days. It is always best to carry some antibiotics and anti-diarrheal drugs in case the situation turns severe.  About 30 -50% of travelers acquire ‘Travelers’ Diarrhea’ while traveling to developing countries, in which 30 to 70% is caused by bacteria and rest by viruses and protozoa.

 If the diarrhea is followed by fever with shaking chills and lasts for more than 72 hours or the abdominal pain is persistent then immediate medical attention must be sought.

Therefore, it is recommended that every traveler traveling to the remote and rural areas of Nepal or to a place of high risks, get immunized beforehand.

Should I get Flu vaccine in Kathmandu Nepal?

Yes, we recommend Flu vaccine if you are visiting Nepal during the cold season.
Flu is a respiratory disease caused by the Influenza virus which communicates through the air during coughs, sneezes or talks. Therefore, it is necessary to get a Flu Shot before you travel to areas where there has been news of previous outbreaks. Prevention is always better than cure.

Who are the most vulnerable to the Flu?
People over 65 years and children under 5 years of age and pregnant women are usually at high risk of getting severe flu. Some might even mistake flu for the common cold as the symptoms are somewhat the same. They include fever, sore throat, cough, muscle, and headache. Although children and the elderly are more susceptible to the disease, we recommend that any individual greater than 6 months of age should get the vaccine. It is important if you are traveling to places where there is a high risk of exposure to the influenza virus. Influenza is an air-borne disease, therefore, it has high chances of mass spread.

Importance of flu shot for travelers traveling to Nepal.
If you are visiting Nepal for holidays or trekking, we recommend that you get vaccinated against a number of diseases including Flu. There are fewer facilities of health centers and clinics in the remote rural areas and the Himalayan areas although it is the first attraction of foreigners and tourists. So it is better to immunize yourself with the necessary vaccines during your time in major cities like Kathmandu or Pokhara before traveling across Nepal.

Clinic One provides all kinds of vaccination services in Kathmandu every day, with or without an appointment.

For more information, you can email us at info@clinicone.com.np or call at 9861966614