Thailand Health Clearance

Complete the Health Clearance either through the Tang Center or via a Private Provider. Choose one set of instructions; do not complete both. You may complete the health clearance at Tang whether you have SHIP or private insurance.

Yellow Fever Vaccination

The Yellow Fever vaccination is required if arriving from or transiting through infected areas. This vaccination is to be noted on an International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV). The ICV should be affixed to the visa inside the student passport and presented at the point of entry. The YF vaccine is not necessary as a protective measure for residence in this country, so it is only considered required you are arriving from or transitioning through infected areas. For areas with risk of yellow fever transmission, please review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

 

Because of the limited availability of this vaccine, if you determine that you need to get it at the Tang Center, then you must also complete the Individual Travel Clinic Consultation at the Tang Center and we encourage you to do set up this appointment as soon as possible.

Field Trips

A few of the programs require trips to other smaller cities within Thailand or to neighboring countries. Students must be able to take care of their own medical needs without impacting the program.

 

The Interdisciplinary Thai Studies Summer program requires field trips to other cities in Thailand. Past locations include Amphawa (60 miles southwest of Bangkok via road), Ayutthaya (50 miles north of Bangkok via road), Lopburi (90 miles north of Bangkok via road), Chiang Mai (430 miles north of Bangkok via road), and Chiang Rai (490 miles north of Bangkok via road).

 

The International and Development Economics in ASEAN Summer program requires a weeklong field trip to a neighboring country. Past locations include Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

 

The Public Health Summer program requires a weeklong stay in a rural village near the Thai-Burmese (Myanmar) border. Past location includes Mae Sot. Student must be able to participate in all field trip activities, including moderate-to-vigorous physical intensity. Student should not have serious conditions that require on-going medical supervision affecting their ability to participate safely in the fieldtrip. Student must be able to take care of their own medical needs without impacting teaching, fieldtrip schedules, or other students. The nearest medical facility is only able to provide very basic facilities with which to stabilize a patient  before transfer to a better equipped facility in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Notes and recommendations from Thammasat Public Health program: Rabies vaccine and immunoglobulins are available in Mae Sot.  Japanese Encephalitis risk is low, vaccination is recommended. Malaria Prophylaxis is not needed. Flu vaccine is available in Bangkok. Health facilities are well-equipped with anti-histamine drugs for allergies. 

Air Pollution

Air quality, particularly in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, have at times risen to unhealthy levels.

Allergies

The cuisine commonly includes ingredients that can cause anaphylaxis.

HIV/AIDS

Thailand has one of the highest numbers of reported AIDS cases in Southeast Asia.

TB Skin Test

A Tuberculosis skin test is strongly recommended before travel if a student has not had one within two years.

Seasonal Flu

Influenza is one of the most common ailments for UCEAP students. Students are frequently in crowded places and regularly take crowded public transportation. The UCEAP Physician Consultant recommends flu vaccination for all students and strongly recommends it for those who will be abroad during the fall or winter with any chronic medical condition.

Bacterial Meningitis

Students planning to live in dormitories should be vaccinated against Meningococcal disease.

Measles

Measles remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Students who have not been vaccinated are at risk of getting the disease and spreading it to others.

Allergies

UCEAP advises students with certain medical conditions to wear a medical alert ID bracelet or pendant at all times while abroad. Such conditions may include diabetes, asthma, serious (anaphylactic) allergies, or any condition that could have severe consequences if they are unable to communicate during a health emergency.

Prescription Medications

Although medications in amounts clearly related to personal use for the expected duration of a trip (30 days) are rarely inspected or questioned, local Customs officials can be suspicious of medications, particularly if students are traveling with large amounts. In some countries, drugs that are legal and readily available in the US are considered illegal, require a prescription, or arouse the suspicions of local officials or customs and immigration authorities.

 

Prescribed medication regimens are important to student's health and well-being. Students should never abruptly discontinue their medication, especially abroad.

 

UCEAP cannot maintain a list of prescribed (or over-the-counter) medications and their legality in the different countries. It is the student’s responsibility to get this information before departure.

 

Students must:

- Keep medicines in their original, labeled, pharmacy packaging when possible. The label should include the student’s name. 

- Obtain and carry a letter from the prescribing physician on letterhead, appropriately signed and dated, stating diagnosis, treatment, and medication regimen, including the generic name.

- Review medication regulations on the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) website and official government sites if they take medications containing controlled substances (including amphetamine-based medications). Excerpted national statutes for most countries can be found on the INCB website. 

 

Students with diabetes and those who use injectable medications should obtain and carry at all times a doctor’s letter explaining the need to carry needles and syringes. According to some students’ reports, their US health practitioners have assumed that doctors abroad can prescribe the same medications commonly prescribed in the US. This is not always the case. Students should research whether their medications are legal and locally available in their program country.

Mailing Medications Abroad

Many countries have strict laws about mailing medications. Students, and their parents, have found out the hard way that their medications, including oral contraceptives and vitamins, are stopped by host country's customs officials. Additionally, the US Post Office restricts using the US postal system to mail medications. Prescription medications can only be mailed by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registered entities. Similar regulations may apply to over-the-counter medications.

 

Do not mail any type of pharmaceuticals to other countries.

General Immunizations

If you are planning travel to areas outside your EAP program country which may have additional health requirements/immunizations, you may get these immunizations from the Tang Travel Clinic, or from your own doctor or health maintenance organization.
Many common immunizations are given as a series of vaccinations that may take months to complete, so begin the process as early as possible. Planning ahead may also allow for a wider range of vaccine options and reduced cost to you.

Additional Immunizations

If you complete your health clearance with a private provider, but then find you need to get an immunization from the Tang Center which was not available from your private provider, you must complete Individual Travel Clinic Consultation at the Tang Center and we encourage you to do set up this appointment as soon as possible. This rule applies to the Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever vaccines and may apply to malaria prophylactics, typhoid vaccine and others. If you have SHIP Insurance, then SHIP covers:

- The cost of the Travel Consultation.
- Immunizations that are part of the domestic series at 100%, such as influenza, HPV, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough), Hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella).
- Immunizations unique to travel at 100%, such as Japanese encephalitis and typhoid (injectable).