Health Issues

It’s essential to understand the health situation in China. Food and water sanitation, vaccines, special considerations like malaria, and the Chinese medical system are all important aspects of a stay in China. You can save yourself a lot of time, pain and money by preparing for a healthy stay.

If you’re going to be in China for more than a few weeks it’s essential that you get a full physical and dental check-up before you leave. If you have a health issue, it’s best to get it resolved in your home country before you leave rather than waiting for it to cause problems for you in China.


Food and Water

In general, there is no problem with the hygiene of food in Chinese restaurants or homes. Chinese food is cooked hot that bacteria is killed. However, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for unsanitary practices, especially when eating street food. It’s recommended to avoid uncooked foods unless they’ve been properly washed; this is especially important in tropical areas, where devastating bacteria can grow on the skin of various fruits.

Generally speaking the tap water is not fit for drinking. Always boil tap water before you consume it. Bottled water is widely available throughout China.

Make sure the cap is sealed on bottled water or any other drink before you drink it – otherwise there might be harmful bacteria or unsanitary liquid in the bottle.


Medications

Most medications, or versions of them, are available in China. However, for prescription medications it is highly recommended that you bring your own supply. If possible, take twice as much as you’ll need in case some is lost or stolen.

All medications, prescription or non-prescription, should be kept and stored in their original containers. Relevant documents should be kept. It’s best to have a signed and dated letter from your doctor explaining any medical conditions you might have, especially if you’re carrying needles or syringes for legitimate purposes.

China’s drug laws can be extremely harsh. If you’re caught with prescription drugs and the authorities have reason to believe that you are using – or worse, selling – drugs in China, you can get in a huge amount of trouble, including fines, deportation and jail time.


Vaccinations

Travel clinics have specific information about what vaccines are needed in particular areas. Most parts of China do not require any particular precautions. However, depending on the area and particular local conditions, it might be a good idea to get certain vaccinations for specific areas.

If you arrive in China from a yellow fever zone (much of Africa and South America), you will need to show proof of vaccination against yellow fever. If you fail to show proof of vaccination you will be denied entry into China.

Other vaccines are not required for entry but some are highly recommended. Recommended vaccines include: Adult diphtheria, tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, typhoid, varicella and influenza. Vaccines for Japanese B encephalitis, pneumonia, rabies and tuberculosis may be necessary depending on your particular circumstances. Consult a doctor for details.


Malaria

Malaria is not a problem throughout most of China. However, a few areas are known to carry a risk of malaria (particularly parts of Yunnan and Hainan). Check with you a doctor to see if anti-malarial medication will be necessary


Chinese Hospitals

The Chinese medical system can be divided into roughly three categories: private practitioners, official hospitals and clinics, and international hospitals.

It is not recommended for anyone to see private practitioners. These doctors may not have the right qualifications to practice medicine. There is no official body to oversee their medical practice. They are popular in China only because they are much cheaper than regular hospitals, but seeing one may make your health worse, not better.

Official hospitals and clinics usually have the support of the government. In large cities, these places are more than adequate for normal procedures. In smaller towns or rural areas, hospitals may lack important equipment or skilled staff, so for serious health problems its best to go to a larger facility. Even hospitals in big cities will not necessarily have doctors that can speak good English, much less any other foreign languages.

International hospitals are staffed by foreign doctors or Chinese doctors trained in North America, Europe or Japan. These facilities have doctors that can speak a variety of languages and abide by the highest international standards; they are capable of addressing many more complex problems that some Chinese hospitals cannot. The downside is that they tend to be very expensive.