If your trip to Jamaica will be aboard a cruise ship or you plan to stick to one of the lush resorts, chances are that you won't have to take more than rudimentary measures to protect yourself against disease. However, if you are a bit of an adventurer and plan to explore the island and its rich culture, then you need to be up on all the latest travel advisories of the area in regards to disease.

Urban city areas are usually somewhat protected by the disease carrying bugs that cause many illnesses. However, even visiting populated villages or just driving in the country areas will increase your risks. Therefore, you should make an appointment with your primary care doctor up to two months before your Jamaican trip to discuss your vaccination options.

Protecting Yourself Before the Trip

Your doctor will likely suggest that you update all of your primary vaccinations that you had as a child such as the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus), MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), chickenpox, influenza and polio. In addition, your doctor will likely prescribe any medication you need for existing health conditions. However, when there is elevated risk in your trip (i.e. visiting the rural areas of Jamaica), your doctor will likely refer you to a physician who specialized in travel medicine.

A travel medicine specialist will let you know if anti-malarial medication is necessary based on where you plan to travel in Jamaica. The same principle applies for receiving a yellow fever vaccination as well. While it likely would not be required if you were traveling straight from the U.S., it might be needed if you were on an extended trip with multiple stops taking to various places known for possible disease risk.

If your travels do bring you in possible contact with malaria-affected areas, chances are that chloroquine would be the chosen malaria drug to start before your trip to Jamaica. There are various drugs to choose from but based on the mosquitoes that carry the illness, the chloroquine is the best choice for that area. Do not trust anti-malarial drugs obtained outside of the U.S. as you do not know if they are laced with other drugs or even if they are full strength.

Preventing Possible Infection

All the vaccinations and drugs in the world will not totally eradicate your chances of developing a disease like yellow fever or malaria. Therefore, you should practice some preventive tips to ensure that you do not get bitten in the first place by an infected mosquito. Insect repellent with DEET is one counter measure in addition to wearing protective clothing like long sleeves and long pants.

Insecticide premethrin treated mosquito netting is helpful for bedding areas not in air conditioning or screened in areas. This insecticide is also useful for treating clothing and bedding items as well. Also only drink filtered or chemically treated water that kills the bacteria and other parasites that can cause illness. You do not want to bring home more than souvenirs, do you?

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