Health feature in a local newspaper

The following health feature was one of a series written for The Croydon Advertiser.

If you are one of the thousands of British people who will be holidaying abroad this summer, you may want to check that you have more than just ticket, passport and money.
No one likes to think of health problems arising abroad, and a health insurance policy will cover most eventualities, but there are steps that everyone can take to ensure that they get the health cover available to them.
For travellers to any of the European Community countries, it is essential to carry a form called an E111.
This ensures that what we call primary care - doctors, dentists, pharmacists and casualty departments - will either be free or the cost refundable at least in part. Britain has what is called a reciprocal care scheme with the EC countries, and the details of what is available at any particular destination can be found in a booklet called Health Advice for Travellers, also known as a T5. This booklet also contains the E111.
Obtaining a T5 is simple. They are available from main Post Offices, and the application requires basic information along with any one of three numbers.
These are your National Insurance number, Pension number or NHS number.
The names of family dependants can be included on one form. The form must then be taken to the counter of any Post Office to be checked and rubber-stamped.
The E111 is then valid, as long as it is not used, for any number of trips to EC countries.
For those travelling further afield than Europe, vaccinations may be required. Many diseases are still at large throughout the world, and your destination should always be checked for any immunisations which may be necessary.
It is not only tropical countries which carry risks for the traveller; TB is prevalent across much of the former Soviet Union, and visitors to Mongolia may come across typhoid, hepatitis A and diphtheria.
Fortunately, there is detailed vaccination information available. Immunisations recommendations fall into three categories: mandatory, recommended and recommended in some circumstances.
Mandatory immunisation is generally just for yellow fever, and there are specialist centres for this. Immunisation is recommended where the risk of infection is substantial, and recommended in some circumstances if the traveller is visiting the country three times in one year, staying for more than three months in a rural area or working in a high-risk occupation.
Malaria remains a problem in many parts of the world, and it is important to check the malaria status of your destination. Nets, sprays and repellent ointments can only ever be partially effective, and anti-malarial preparations should be taken for a week before travel and for four weeks afterwards.
Different countries affected by malaria may require different preparations, and differing doses for children should also be checked.
Information on the E111, vaccinations and all health aspects of holidaying abroad can be obtained by telephoning HEALTHPOINT, The National Health Information Service, on 0800 xxx xxx.