Health and Safety

Here you find some general information about vaccinations, health care services, safe driving as well as natural disasters. More detailed safety information can be found in the Beyond Abroad Guide for each destination, which you will receive after being accepted to one of our study abroad programs.

Health

VACCINATIONS

Make sure that your vaccinations are up to date before going abroad.

The essentials:

• MMR
• Diphtheria-tetanus

Consider also:

• Hepatitis A and B

Other vaccinations are usually optional, and their necessity depends on the destination, the length of the stay and other destinations you may plan to visit.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES

Especially in the larger cities and tourist areas, health care services are of Western standards and most hospitals have employees who speak fluent English.

The most encountered illnesses for travellers are stomach flu, dehydration and cold caused by the excessive use of air conditioning. It is easy to avoid these by taking care of hand hygiene, choosing your restaurants carefully, drinking enough fluids (bottled water and sports drinks) and not turning the AC on too high. Tropical countries also have some more exotic illnesses and the local health care providers will have the best knowledge about them.

Safety

All our study destinations are very safe. Violence in general in rare, especially towards foreigners. Mutual respect is important. The greatest danger can be the heavy traffic which can be quite different from what you are used to at home.

Traffic

Many countries have left-sided traffic, but it does not take long to get used to it. The traffic culture is different from Europe and North America and can seem completely chaotic in the beginning. Still, the traffic flows according to its own rules. Traffic jams are a part of everyday life but in larger cities, metros and sky trains help ease the traffic.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters can be one possible cause of worry for students and their families. It is important to keep in mind that these can happen everywhere at any time but are extremely rare.

At the beginning of each semester Beyond Abroad asks students for their local contact information in case of emergency.