Spain
High quality dental care is available in Spain
Supplies of international medications are generally available from both the hospitals and private pharmacies in Spain
Blood supplies are considered safe and screened to international standards
Good medical care is available.
Recent medical and dental exams should ensure that the traveler is in good health. Carry appropriate health and accident insurance documents and copies of any important medical records. Bring an adequate supply of all prescription and other medications as well as any necessary personal hygiene items, including a spare pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses if necessary.
Take personal protective measures against insects. Drink only bottled beverages (including water) or beverages made with boiled water. Do not use ice cubes or eat raw seafood or rare meat. Eat well-cooked foods while they are still hot and fruits that can be peeled without contamination. Avoid roadside stands and street vendors. Only pasteurized dairy products should be consumed.
Wide temperature variations in Madrid can aggravate respiratory ailments.
Soft coal burned for winter heating leaves pollutants that can aggravate allergies and may increase susceptibility to respiratory ailments. Air pollution and smog are growing problems and do reach menacing, bothersome levels in all of Spain's large cities.
The dry atmosphere may cause skin irritations or aggravate allergies.
Hikers in wooded areas should take protective measures against ticks.
Hepatitis A: Consider active immunization with hepatitis A vaccine or passive immunization with immune globulin (IG) for all susceptible travelers. Especially consider choosing active immunization for persons planning to reside for a long period or for persons who take frequent short-term trips to risk areas. The importance of protection against hepatitis A increases as length of stay increases. It is particularly important for persons who will be living in or visiting rural areas, eating or drinking in settings of poor or uncertain sanitation, or who will have close contact with local persons (especially young children) in settings with poor sanitary conditions.
Hepatitis B: Vaccination is advised for health care workers, persons anticipating direct contact with blood from or sexual contact with inhabitants, and persons planning extended stays of 6 months or greater (especially those who anticipate using local health care facilities, staying in rural areas, or having intimate contact with the local population).
Typhoid: Vaccination should be considered for persons staying longer than 3 weeks, adventurous eaters, and those who will venture off the usual tourist routes into small cities, villages and rural areas. Importance of vaccination increases as access to reasonable medical care becomes limited. Contraindications depend on vaccine type.
Note: All routine vaccines (such as DTP or Td, Hib, MMR, polio, varicella, influenza and pneumococcal) should be kept up-to-date as a matter of good health practice unrelated to travel.
Sanitary conditions are good in Spain's large cities. Most traveler's health problems arise from lack of proper food storage and refrigeration or deficiencies in water systems or in preparation of uncooked vegetables. The most prevalent local illnesses are upper respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, influenza, measles, chicken pox, hepatitis, mumps and whooping cough. No rabies has been reported for several years except in Ceuta/Melilla. Typhoid and tuberculosis are both still present in all regions but are far less prevalent than a few years ago. Also see the following:
Insect-borne illness:
Leishmaniasis (visceral and cutaneous) - occurs
Sandfly fever - occurs
Typhus (Murine and tick-borne) - occurs
West Nile fever (mosquito-borne) - occurs
(The above occur in Mediterranean coastal areas.)
Lyme disease occurs
Food-borne and water-borne illness: bacillary dysentery and other diarrheas and typhoid fever are more common in the summer and autumn.
Brucellosis - occurs
Other hazards:
Diseases such as measles and diphtheria are commonly reported.
Influenza risk extends from November to April.
AIDS: According to the Department of State, anyone seeking residence, work and student permits must submit to a medical exam (which may include an AIDS test). Foreign test results are accepted under certain conditions. Contact Spain's embassy for details.
