Notify staff that you are booking for a “Travel Vaccination”. Please specify if you need Yellow Fever Vaccine. (We have to order the Yellow Fever Vaccine for you) Book your travel health advice check up 4-6 weeks before your departure.

Ofcourse. We would encourage you to check these sites 

• Department of Health, Commonwealth of Australia.
• Department of Health, New South Wales.
• Center for Disease Control (CDC), USA.
• World Health Organisation.

Family Medicine Umina Beach is an Accredited Centre for Yellow Fever Vaccination. Please see FAQs below for more info.

1. Contraceptive Pill (Combined):

• Continue taking the pill as per routine until you leave home for getting on the long distance flight.
• For very long flights such as going to Europe or to the Americas, you may need to have an extra pill midway in your flight and once you reach your destination, resume taking your pill at the same time you normally take at home (at the local time zone)
• If you have not had a pill during travel and the time difference between the last dose (you had at home) and the next pill (you had at destination) has been over 36 hrs, then, you have missed a pill. Follow what you normally do when you have missed a pill.
• Being on combined contraceptive pill and long haul flights are 2 independent risk factors for blood clots. Drink plenty of fluids (Non alcoholic) and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) prevention exercises during your flight.

2. Mini Pill (Progesterone only pill)

• More time sensitive than the combined pill.
• Continue taking the pill as per routine until you leave home for getting on the long distance flight.
• For very long flights such as going to Europe or to the Americas, you may need to have an extra pill midway in your flight and once you reach your destination, resume taking your pill at the same time you normally take at home (at the local time zone)
• If you have not had a pill during travel and the time difference between the last dose (you had at home) and the next pill (you had at destination) has been over 30 hrs, then, you have missed a pill. Follow what you normally do when you have missed a pill.

3. Long acting contraceptions (Depot Injections, Contraception implant, Intra-Uterine devices)

• These are not generally affected with travel. Ensure if they are not due for replacement/ repeat administration while you are away. If you are not sure when you are due for replacement/ repeat injection, refer to the administration card or contact us (if implanted/ administered by us)

Unfortunately there is no 100% guaranteed method to avoid menstrual bleed to ruin your holidays. However there are measures that work quite often.

 Not on any contraceptives. If you are not on any hormonal birth control measures, and if you have very regular cycles, then you could plan your holidays to fall between your cycles. Remember, some times the long travel/ time zone changes could confuse your body's regulatory centres and you could start with your periods.

1. On the combined pill. You can miss the sugar pill and keep taking the hormone pill. But if you are some one who never misses the hormone pill, you could get withdrawal bleed during holidays. So may want to consider having a planned periods (break from hormone pills atleast 3-4 weeks before your holidays)
2.  If on the minipill. Continue taking the pill regularly with no breaks. If you start bleeding, you may over-ride with taking extra pills.

Travel holidays could provide a nice relaxing setting to get pregnant. However, there are certain things you need to consider before embarking on that venture. First and fore most, you need todo some research about the pregnancy safety of the place you are planning to visit. Some holiday destinations could harbour dangerous diseases such as Zika fever, and if you were to conceive while holidaying there, there could be potential harm to the developing baby. Research your holiday destination at  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organisation and The Department of Health Travel Information websites.

Seeing us 6-8 weeks prior to your travel may be ideal. Generally most vaccines need to be administered about 2-3 weeks prior to you reaching your destination. We need to order your yellow fever vaccine. That can take upto 1 week (often is only a few days)

This depends on where you are going. Please make sure you bring or know your complete travel itenerary when coming for the appointment. If you are going to developed countries such as Western Europe, USA etc, you may not need anything. Just make sure your Tetanus vaccine is up to date (within last 10 years generally). For most other countries including favourite tourist spots such as Bali, Phuket, Fiji etc you may need Hepatitis A and Typhoid Vaccination. For visits to hot and humid areas you may need a Malaria prevention medication.

This depends on where you are going and when you had your vaccine. 

• Yellow Fever vaccine. Does not need to be repeated if you have had it once (you would need documentary evidence)
• Hepatitis A. If you have had 2 shots 6-24 months apart, you wont need any more
• Typhoid. You need a further vaccine if your last was more than 3 yrs ago
• Malaria. You need it every time you go into a malaria prone region
• Ask us for more info at consultation

Yes. You may not need need vaccination for hepatitis A, typhoid and sometimes even malaria because you may have whats called as “herd immunity” due to prior exposure to the bugs when you lived back home. Your children may not have that protection. However, generally we would advice you get vaccinated as well (if relevent)