Here is some advice!
Medication
If you are following a specific medical treatment, don't forget your prescriptions, they might prove useful if you need to see a doctor, and don't forget to bring enough medication for the entirety of your trip if you are coming from outside France. Also, watch out for the time difference and take this into account when taking your medication!
Make sure your blood group is noted down on your medical documents and bring with you your up-to-date vaccination card.
Health cover
Request your European Health Insurance Card if you are a European citizen. This should be done at least 2 weeks before departure. If you are from outside Europe, please check you have health cover when travelling.
Vaccinations
Throughout France and its territories, the DPT and BCG (tuberculosis) vaccinations are obligatory. The MMR and Whooping Cough vaccinations are recommended.
In Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we recommend that you are vaccinated against the following diseases*:
- Hepatitis A (or jaundice): This disease is transmitted via water, food and dirty hands
- Hepatitis B and typhoid: for long stays or repeated stays
- If you are sailing with children, check their health background and make sure everything is up-to-date
- Vaccination against Yellow Fever is not needed for a trip to the Caribbean
*information issued by the Pasteur Institute of Medicine and the French Institute of Public Health via their weekly health bulletin (BEH)
A few hygiene measures
Wash your hands regularly with soap (water alone is not sufficient), particularly before meals, before preparing food, after going to the toilet. You can also use an antibacterial gel.
Only drink water from a sealed bottle, or one that has been opened in front of you. Or drink water that has been treated (with a disinfectant or boiled...)
Be careful when walking barefoot wherever you are...
Things to prepare before you leave
Prepare a small, easy-to-carry first-aid kit before leaving, containing the following:
- Paracetamol
- Mosquito repellant
- Plasters
- Gauze compresses
- Steri-strips (surgical adhesive strips)
- A small bottle of disinfectant
- Hexamidine (antiseptic skin disinfectant)
- Eosine in single doses
- Saline solution in single doses
- A mini sun-block (in case you forget yours)
- Water disinfectant pastilles (just in case)
- A couple of packets of tissues
If you are sailing with children, remember to pack the following:
- A thermometer
- Child paracetamol
- Child mosquito repellant
- Several sachets of oral rehydration solution (ORS)
- Arnica granules or Arnica cream
- A light mosquito net that can be hung around the children's beds
- Children's diarrhea tablets
Are you pregnant?
- Protect yourself against mosquitoes. Wear lightweight trousers and long sleeves when you are on land and use a special mosquito repellant
- Vaccination against Yellow Fever (not needed for a trip to the Caribbean) is unadviseable throughout pregnancy