Before traveling abroad, you should not forget to research the necessary health precautions, particularly regarding vaccinations. Yes, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we focus mainly on vaccines, mask-wearing, and hand sanitizer, but beyond COVID-19 and its associated vaccine, there are many other vaccines that might be mandatory for entering a country.
If you’re going on a long trip of several months, make sure to check your health and schedule all necessary appointments, including routine ones: general practitioner, ophthalmologist, dentist, gynecologist, etc. Booking appointments can sometimes take a while, so it's a good idea to schedule them 3 to 6 months in advance.
When you’re planning to travel abroad, it’s also advisable to check that your vaccinations are up-to-date and, most importantly, to see if there are any mandatory vaccines required for entry into the country.
When we went to New Zealand, we were fortunate that no additional vaccines (beyond the mandatory ones in France) were required. However, we still visited a vaccination center to ensure that our vaccinations were up-to-date and everything was in order for our trip. And fortunately, we did. Although it wasn’t mandatory, the Hepatitis A vaccine was recommended, which neither of us had. So, we took the opportunity to get updated on that. It wasn’t a big deal.
Although it can be bulky, and even if you don’t have any health issues, we recommend bringing your health record with you. It might be my cautious side, but it’s reassuring to have your health record with you, if only to avoid memorizing the vaccines you’ve had or your health history from recent years. Plus, if anything happens while you’re there and you need to see a doctor, you'll have all the necessary information with you.
If you have prescriptions and medications in France, remember to bring them with you on your trip, as they are (normally) valid in all European Union countries (and sometimes beyond). If needed, you can then visit a pharmacy to refill your prescriptions and continue your treatment(s).
Finally, if you are traveling in Europe, having or requesting your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC – you can apply for it here) can be very useful if you need any medical treatment. With this card, you can easily receive medical care (for unexpected treatments and necessary medications not covered) on-site (either for free or by paying upfront, depending on each country's regulations).
Also note that even though it is a 'European' card, outside the European Union, in some cases, expenses may be reimbursed by the EHIC once you return to France. So, don't hesitate to contact your local health insurance office CPAM for more information, or even consult the Centre des liaisons européennes et internationales de sécurité sociale (Cleiss) website to see if any agreements have been made with the country you are visiting.
So, to summarize, it's better to be prepared than the opposite, and therefore have all the treatments, papers, and documents that might be useful during your trip. We don’t joke about health, and it’s important to be ready for any eventuality.
1. If you don’t want to carry your paper health record, you can easily scan it and store it in a drive, cloud, or USB stick for access at any time. That’s actually what we did when we went to New Zealand; this way, there’s no issue with space, loss, or theft.
2. If you forgot to request your European Health Insurance Card in time before your departure (request that can be made directly on your ameli.fr account), don’t panic! Even if you’re not there to receive it, your card will be generated automatically in your ameli account. So, don’t hesitate to make the request anyway and especially to download the ameli app (available on Apple or Android*).
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