One of the most interesting times to travel is undoubtedly in autumn, and many people who wanted a getaway this year but did not want to risk the hectic and sometimes overpriced peak holiday season instead have opted to book in September or October.
The time around the autumn equinox is ideal, as you can take full advantage of late summer warmth before the winter chill begins to bite in late October. As well as this, many people take advantage of cheaper flights and accommodation at the end of the traditional holiday season.
However, regardless of when you decide to travel, the best way to ensure a perfect holiday is to get in touch with your local travel health clinic and receive personalised advice for your particular holiday destination during the winter, as well as book any necessary vaccinations.
Some advice will be the same all year round, but here are some of the most important health tips to ensure you enjoy your holiday.
Keep Yourself Protected
The most important travel tip is that even as the season changes, some year-round health concerns will still be around.
If you need travel vaccinations to stay safe in your destination during the summer, that is unlikely to change in the early part of autumn.
Some conditions are relatively seasonal and will start to see a reduced risk during the colder parts of autumn, but other common diseases will be found throughout the year, such as rabies in infected countries.
The best place to go if you have any questions is a travel clinic, but websites such as TravelHealthPro can provide additional country-specific advice.
As well as this, if you qualify for the flu vaccine, check to see if you need the northern hemisphere version, the southern hemisphere version, or both.
Expect Unpredictable Conditions
Whilst we know to pack light, loose clothing in summer and wrap up warm in winter, autumn can be quite changeable and provide a number of unexpected types of weather. This means that you have to expect the unexpected.
A late autumn heatwave is never out of the question, but neither is a constant downpour. Make sure to pack layered clothing and a weatherproof coat just to be sure, as well as making sure you are as ready to deal with dehydration as you are tackling the flu.
Keep Wearing Sunscreen
Just because the weather is not as warm as it is during the height of summer, it doesn’t necessarily mean the risks of sunburn are zero. This is especially true until mid-October, when the sun can still shine brightly in the middle of the day.
If the sun is out, it is always best to be safe and apply a high SPF factor sunscreen to keep yourself safe and avoid increasing your risk of long-term health conditions.
This is especially true if you are travelling somewhere that is still particularly hot in autumn, such as Cyprus.
Check If You Need Additional Speciality Vaccines
If you are travelling to a typical tourist destination, following the recommended vaccination and travel advice will generally be enough to keep you safe.
However, many people who travel outside of the typical holiday season are doing so for reasons other than a holiday, whether that is to attend a sporting event, a late-year festival, family gatherings or as part of medical and aid work.
In some cases, this itinerary means that you may be at additional risk of contracting health conditions, may be further away from a hospital or doctor’s clinic, or could otherwise benefit from additional protection.
Watch Out For Malaria
Even if you are going on holiday in Autumn or even early winter, do not assume that you are no longer at risk of contracting malaria in an area where the disease is typically endemic.
Malaria is seasonal, but these seasons can last far longer than the end of summer, and if you are travelling to the southern hemisphere to look for some autumn and winter sun, you will be travelling potentially during the height of their malaria season.
There is currently no vaccine for malaria, but antimalarials can help to reduce the risk that a bite from an infected mosquito will progress into symptomatic malaria.
As well as this, make sure you pack insect repellents, wear loose clothing that covers your skin and use a mosquito net, as malaria-carrying mosquitoes tend to come out at night to bite.
The best defence is to be prepared and minimise the chances of a mosquito bite, which, thanks to antimalarial medication, will reduce the chances of it getting more serious.