Soon after Helensburgh teen Makaylee Harrison returned from a trip to Cambodia with her grandmother, she was struck down by a strange illness.
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Fever and fatigue; aches and pains; nausea and jaundice were the main symptoms affecting the 15-year-old girl.
Makaylee’s mother Colleen sought medical help, and she was diagnosed with hepatitis A, a viral liver infection common in developing countries where hygiene standards are poor.
Mrs Harrison said a simple vaccination would have protected her daughter against the disease – for which there is no specific treatment – and urged other parents and travellers to beware.
‘’When you’re preparing for overseas holidays you have so many things to organise, and travel insurance is often a high priority but ensuring your – or your family’s – health sometimes gets forgotten,’’ she said.
‘’I feel terrible that we didn’t seek information from our GP, but if Makaylee’s experience helps to bring awareness to others, then that’s important.’’
The family have all been vaccinated as a precaution, while Makaylee is still recovering from the infection.
‘’I kept getting sicker and sicker,’’ Makaylee said. ‘’I lost a lot of weight and still feel really tired but I’m slowly getting better.’’
This week the need to protect against vaccine-preventable diseases when holidaying was further highlighted when an Illawarra resident returned home from an international trip with measles.
On Thursday the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District issued an alert after the adult – unaware they had contracted the disease overseas – visited a number of public places.
ISLHD acting public health director Diane Lovatt warned people who had visited specific locations to look out for symptoms. Those were Wollongong Hospital on January 6; Dapto Mall on January 7 or 8; Club Lime Gym on January 8 and Warrawong Plaza on January 12.
‘’I think a lot of people have forgotten about the importance of having the right health advice and vaccinations before they travel,’’ Ms Lovatt said.
Recommendations would vary based on a person’s medical history, and the duration and location of travel, so people should visit their GP a few months prior to departure.
‘’For instance hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are recommended for travel to many parts of Asia; and a vaccine for yellow fever when going to South America or Africa,’’ she said.
‘’And while the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine is part of our childhood vaccinations, there’s a group of people in their 30s and 40s not properly vaccinated who may be at risk, especially when travelling.’’