Emergency Contacts

Ambulance: 120
Police: 110
Fire: 119

Recommended Vaccinations

See your doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for inoculations to take effect (as Appropriate for Age)

Hepatitis B - Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or be exposed through medical treatment.
Japanese Encephalitis - Japanese encephalitis, only if you plan to visit rural areas for 4 weeks or more, except under special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.
Rabies - Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
Hepatitis A - Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), except travelers to Japan.
Booster Shots - As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles, and a one-time dose of polio for adults. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11-12 years who did not receive the series as infants.
Typhoid - Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.

Safety Information

Travelers' Diarrhea - Travelers' Diarrhea, the number one illness in travelers, can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites), fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). Make sure your food and drinking water are safe.

Malaria - Malaria is a preventable infection that can be fatal if left untreated. Prevent infection by taking prescription antimalarial drugs and protecting yourself against mosquito bites. Malaria risk in this region exists only in some rural areas of China. For specific locations, see Malaria Information for Travelers to East Asia. Most travelers to East Asia at risk for malaria should take chloroquine to prevent malaria.

Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate - A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required to enter certain of these countries if you are coming from tropical South America or sub-Saharan Africa. (There is no risk for yellow fever in East Asia.) For detailed information, see Comprehensive Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements[on the CDC website].

Insect Carried Diseases - Filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, leishmaniasis, and plague are diseases carried by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself against insect bites will help to prevent these diseases.

Altitude Concerns - If you visit the Himalayan Mountains, ascend gradually to allow time for your body to adjust to the high altitude, which can cause insomnia, headaches, nausea, and altitude sickness. In addition, use sunblock rated at least SPF 15, because the risk of sunburn is greater at high altitudes.

General Health Information

Source: Prof. Marshall W. Raffel

In order to assure quality medical care, please select hospitals in major Chinese cities that have so-called VIP wards (gaogan bingfang). These feature reasonably up-to-date medical technology and physicians who are both knowledgeable and skilled. Most of these VIP wards also provide medical services to foreigners, feature English-speaking doctors and nurses, and may even accept credit cards for payment. Even in the VIP/Foreigner wards of major hospitals, however, American patients have frequently encountered difficulty due to cultural and regulatory differences. Physicians and hospitals have sometimes refused to supply American patients with complete copies of their Chinese hospital medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and x-rays. Physicians have also frequently discouraged Americans from obtaining second opinions from outside physicians. Hospitals have sometimes been reluctant to release patients for medical evacuation in cases where they would prefer to keep the patient for an extended stay.

Ambulances do not carry sophisticated medical equipment, and ambulance personnel generally have little or no medical training. Therefore, injured or seriously ill Americans should take taxis or other immediately available vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than waiting for ambulances to arrive. In rural areas, only rudimentary medical facilities are generally available. Medical personnel in rural areas are often poorly trained and are often reluctant to accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency situations.

Healthcare in China is currently financed by a combination of tax monies from provincial and county governments, patient fee-for-service payments for care, and by health insurance. A small but growing number of Chinese have private health insurance. Because the cost of care may be more than many Chinese can afford, many people still rely on herbal and other traditional remedies to treat illnesses. It has been estimated that 40% of all health care in China is by traditional methods. In many places in China, physicians trained in Western style medicine are not available, and the hospitals are not staffed to western standards. Generally speaking, in most places in China, the quality of care is not up to standards expected by residents of the U.S. and Western Europe, and for very serious medical problems Americans should consider returning to the U.S. or traveling to another place where the quality of care is consistent with the standards of U.S. and Western Europe.