Multi Site Australia & Solomon Islands Health Clearance

You must complete the Health Clearance through the Tang Center. 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 if 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 after completing the mandatory Online Travel Health Course.

Measles Vaccination

Students must show proof of vaccination, administered at any date prior to the 15 days before arrival in Solomon Islands, and complete a Travellers Health Declaration Card (see instructions in your Pre-Departure Checklist). Failure to provide proof of vaccination may require a medical examination by medical authorities. Students are strongly encouraged to get this vaccine in the US prior to departing for the program.

Malaria Prophylactic Pills

All students are strongly encouraged to purchase antimalarials before leaving the United States. Students should be aware of protective measures to prevent mosquito bites  (e.g., to bring a large amount of good quality insect repellent containing Picaridin or at least 30% DEET; to bring long, loose clothing and socks to wear in the evening). Students should continue to take antimalarials throughout the program and follow personal protective practices to prevent mosquito bites. Before getting a prescription for antimalarials, students should disclose all medical conditions and other medications to a prescribing doctor. Lariam and Mefloquine may not be suitable for people with a history of depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses.

Travel Clinic appointments fill up quickly and we recommend students schedule their appointments well in advance.

Heightened Physical and Mental Demands

Physically demanding field activities are a major component of the program. Participants must be physically fit, able to swim, and free of serious medical and mental conditions that would require ongoing medical supervision.

There is little development of infrastructure in the Solomon Islands and access to many of the field sites is via hiking/climbing. Students must be prepared to participate in long-distance walks over extremely rough, remote terrain and bush land.

Students must be prepared to swim, snorkel, and use boats to gain access to field sites. Students must abide by the water safety regulations presented and enforced by the program supervisors.

Students must be able to swim competently wearing snorkel, mask, and fins. UQ staff demonstrate
snorkeling equipment, and students practice techniques. Students are monitored and assessed for
competency in waters off the shoreline. Students must demonstrate they can swim with fins and snorkel
for 200 meters.

Students must be flexible, open to the local culture, and tolerant of local religious practices.

All participants are obligated to take appropriate medical advice and disclose any restrictions imposed by their health that may affect their ability to participate safely in the fieldwork activities. It is inappropriate for participants with potentially life threatening medical conditions that may become active during fieldwork to participate in fieldwork at remote locations.

Students should disclose any known allergies (severe or otherwise) to any substances. Students must bring any necessary medications that they may require while on the program, particularly when out in the field for several hours (e.g. EpiPen for severe allergies; Ventolin for asthma). There are no existing drug manufacturers in the country, and pharmaceuticals are imported from foreign wholesalers and manufacturers in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the US, and Singapore.

Limited Access to Physical and Mental Health Services

Students will be in a rural, remote environment. Limited medical and mental health services are available in the capital city of Honiara, but students will be living mostly in the rural, remote western islands.

Transportation between the country’s many islands is mainly by ferry, outboard motorboat, or canoe. There are few inter-island flights and limited roadways. Evacuations and medical care may be significantly delayed.

Levels of health literacy and patient education are low among the population, and there are limited sources of information on the quality of health services. Faculty members in charge of the group will be helping students navigate the need for care.

Most facilities are poorly equipped to provide support to people with mental illness.

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).