Dr Kerryn Phelps, Health Editor, with Tracey Grimshaw, Channel Nine, 'Today'

While the incident was obviously unexpected, it does raise questions about health precautions that travellers can take before they head off overseas, and with us now to discuss that Today's Health Editor, Dr Kerryn Phelps. Morning, Kerryn.

PHELPS: Good morning, Tracey.

GRIMSHAW: We've got a 50 per cent chance of illness while we're travelling which seems incredibly high.

PHELPS: Well, anything from a minor medical problem to some fairly major medical issues, as we've seen with this tragic story. Although, that could have happened just being at home, and indeed there has been a death in New South Wales just this week, as well, from the same disease. But before you travel, because you're far from home and you may be in a country which doesn't have quite the level of medical services that we have here in Australia, I think it's very important - as much as planning your destination and where you're going to stay - to actually plan what you might need in terms of your health.

GRIMSHAW: Yes, that's the trick isn't it. We don't yet know all the circumstances surrounding the death of Michael Williams in Rome, but, by all accounts, he was feeling poorly for a few days in the lead up to becoming terribly ill, and I guess that's something you would do, if you were a long way from the doctor you'd think to yourself, 'I'll just get better'. You shouldn't do that when you're overseas, should you?

PHELPS: Well, I think that you're really in that situation because you haven't got your usual family doctor to call although, we certainly do get a lot of calls from people overseas who ring us up just to get advice, and that's not a bad a thing to do - to have a family doctor that you can call no matter where you are and say, 'this is my problem'. But to plan before you go is also very important, and particularly for people who already have medical problems - if they have diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or whatever - they need to make sure that they have a check-up before they go and there is a checklist of things that you can do before you leave, and having a medical check-up to make sure you're as healthy as you can be is one of them.

Immunisations are vital and indeed, some people with certain medical conditions need to, before they plan even their destination, work out what immunisations they need, and that's particularly the case for pregnant women. You may decide to take a holiday somewhere else.

A medical kit's important. Pack your medications and your prescription medications, travel insurance with hospital cover, and also cover in case you have to be emergency airlifted out of the place you're in. A dental check-up of course - you don't want to have a bad toothache while you're away; get your eyes checked; carry some spare glasses and research the health risks of your destination - know what you're in for.

GRIMSHAW: So you really need to go to your doctor don't you, and say 'Look, I'm going to Kenya or I'm going to Bali' even, for example?

PHELPS: Well, a lot of Australians do go to Bali and they don't realise that there are recommended vaccines, not only to get your current immunisations up to date - like your tetanus and diphtheria and so forth - but also to make sure that you are vaccinated against hepatitis A. Some people will choose to be hepatitis immunised against hepatitis B and typhoid, and also malaria prophylaxis. If you happen to be in the countryside areas of Bali there is a malaria risk there, and so that's extremely important, too.

GRIMSHAW: Kerryn, lots of GPs don't just stock a wide variety of vaccines and injections for any number of countries and contingencies. Travellers' medical centres are quite good for that though, aren't they?

PHELPS: There are certain general practices that are designated as travellers' health centres, and also there are specialised travellers health centres. So check with your own GP because I think it's good to keep everything under the one roof, and many of them will stock the vaccinations that you need, but some people will choose to go to a travellers' health centre.

And I think it's important also to think about packing for yourself what you're going to need to take away.

GRIMSHAW: Yeah, health kits, they're great.

PHELPS: … and there a range of health kits. I mean if, for example, you're going to a third world country you might want to take your own medical equipment pack, because you may go to a country which doesn't have clean needles and syringes, and you might be at risk of HIV. So if you take your own syringes, a scalpel, blades and knives, your own of course, don't carry them in the plane - they have to go into the hold - suture material, dressings, and that can keep you safe in a third world country if you need to have treatment.

An adventurer's health pack which will contain a lot of things like gloves, syringes, strips for fixing up wounds, antiseptics …

GRIMSHAW: Water purifying tablets I bet are in there, too, if we dig around.

PHELPS: … yes, and antiseptics, triangular bandages if you get an arm injury, crepe bandages, of course, paracetamol.

GRIMSHAW: Imodium.

PHELPS: Imodium is another one, and these sorts of packs that are pre-packed with something for diarrhoea and vomiting, paracetamol, bandages and water purifying tablets, those sorts of things. So, know what your risks are and then plan for that.

GRIMSHAW: You've talked about people perhaps with pre-existing medical conditions. What about older travellers and what about travelling with youngsters or even babies?

PHELPS: I think, once again, you need to plan your destination carefully, and if you're travelling with a baby you really need to look at the risk for that baby. For example, it would be a very major decision to go into an endemic malaria zone with a small baby, because the medication that they would need to take would be, in some cases, prohibitive for them. I think it's very important to research that sort of thing and to weigh up the benefits and the risks.

But people who are older, who have medical problems, obviously getting a check-up, making sure their medications are up-to-date before they go. And if they do have significant medical problems, think about an organised trip where if there are problems, somebody can take care of that on your behalf rather than having to try to manage on your own.

GRIMSHAW: Okay, there are some websites who can help too, and we're about to tell people about those. Thanks, Kerryn.

PHELPS: Thank you, Tracey.

GRIMSHAW: And if you want to do more research on health and medical advice for travellers, go to ninemsn.com.au/getaway, and click on travel tools. They have a selection of links to follow. And if you need help with computer access, many public libraries can help.

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