Irish people travelling abroad are risking their health by failing to get the necessary vaccinations, drinking local tap water and eating contaminated food, the Irish Society of Travel Medicine warned yesterday, writes Christine Newman
New guidelines for travel agents, introduced yesterday, say while 93 per cent of Irish travellers know vaccinations are important for "at-risk" destinations, only about 15 per cent get vaccinations.
Dr David Thomas of the ISTM, said: "People don't realise the risks they are taking, nor do they understand how debilitating and long a bout of a disease like typhoid or hepatitis A can be."