When we booked our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the tour information we received included the suggestion that we check with a travel clinic to find out if we needed shots. I can’t address the insurance angle, but I do think it would have been useful to advise the traveler. Less seasoned travelers may have no idea what’s required or recommended. For me, it’s useful information to share with the traveler – like visa requirements – that the traveler is ultimately responsible for acting upon.

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The information is so easy to find that I’m surprised situations like this still occur. It’s not hard for the traveller or the travel agent to pull up the information online before the trip is booked. (The CDC and NaTHNaC websites both have destination-specific health information).

If you’re thinking of going somewhere, look into the health and safety before you book so you’ll know what to expect.

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As a travel agent this is part of the information/advice I am paid to give. Although I cannot give direct help, advice to ensure visas/passports/destination requirements are all met, to me this is part of the help a travel agent should give.

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I think it’s definitely value-adding information that the travel agent should provide (they can use the official MASTA guidelines for different countries). Agreeing with pam above, in the same way they provide visa guidelines, they should also provide “guidlines” on vaccination (not prescriptive advice) – and most importantly clearly highlight to the traveller the time lag required for vaccinations. Some need to be taken x no. of weeks before travel and if they’re booking last minute, then it’s an issue.

So yes travel agent should provide guidelines, but ultimately it is the traveller’s responsiblity

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Darren

Travel Agents used to give this information in the UK, and then we got told we are not medically qualified to do so and to refer the customer to the Doctor. However we can give out general advice.

So generally speaking the vacations suggested for Blackpool are

Tetanus
Polo (no needles on this one)
Diphtheria

So most travel companies just say to check with your Doctor which is the advice we been told to pass on by the medical profession.

As regarding insurance If you travelling against medical advice then the will not insure you as you breeched the conditions of the policy. These mean compulsory vaccinations that you must have. Not suggested (most are suggested) when you travel at your own risk and should be covered.
(above information supplied by Cover-more Insurance services Ltd and only applies to them)

For Egypt it seems that vaccinations are suggested not compulsory, but this should always be checked with your Doctor.

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I agree with Nick.

To add I don’t think I like the idea of our travel agency providing health information, because there’s so much that can go wrong. We live in a world where people are happy to sue for miss-advice, so we stay clear of it and refer the consumer to their doctor.

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I agree that travel agents shouldn’t be giving specific advice, but what’s wrong with saying “there are vaccines recommended or required for this destination. You should talk to your doctor or go to a travel clinic.”

That is, of course, because people obviously don’t know to do this without a reminder.

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I would expect the travel agent to tell me that it’s adviseable to have vaccinations, and refer me to my doctor. So, I agree with Beth.

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I don’t think it’s the travel agents’ responsibility to inform about vaccinations, but I definitely believe that many travellers would appreciate it.

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There are some legal considerations in this, particularly in regards to malaria. We are not allowed to say you do or you don’t need malaria tablets. I am sure that some tour operators do say but the law is very stringent in this area as a recent documentary on the television which ‘exposed’ naturopaths etc.

We do try and give people some tips generally, but always recommend they check with their doctor (who check it on the central NHS database) or the tropical diseases clinic in London.

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