Panama travel Forum

Health

It is recommended that visitors be inoculated for typhoid. Malaria prophylaxis is advised for most parts of the country other than Panama City and the Canal, and dengue fever is on the increase; travellers should take precautions against mosquito bites, as there are a number of tropical diseases spread by mosquitoes. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for all travellers, except those visiting Panama City and the Canal, and is a requirement for all visitors arriving from an infected area. Vaccinations against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are sometimes recommended. Leptospirosis is a risk throughout the country, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. Tap water is not safe to drink outside the capital without being boiled, filtered or chemically disinfected, and food should be eaten peeled, cooked and piping hot. Travellers are advised to carry an anti-diarrhoea drug. Medical facilities are good in Panama City, but less so elsewhere in the country. Critical medical problems require air evacuation to somewhere with better medical facilities, and travellers are therefore advised to have a fully comprehensive medical insurance policy. Quality control of pharmaceuticals in Panama is inadequate, so travellers are advised to bring a sufficient supply of their own medications from home.


View information on diseases: Yellow fever, Typhoid fever, Malaria, Leptospirosis (including Weil disease), Dengue Fever

Panama travel Forum