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Health
and Safety advice for Russia
Contents: Health Advice
- Vaccinations - Health Insurance & Assistance - Safety & Security
Health
Advice & Necessary Vaccinations
Generally,
Russia is the same as any European country in terms of health risks.
So, if you're OK living in Europe, US, Canada, Australia or elsewhere
you don't need to take any special preventive measures before coming
to Russia.
No vaccinations are required for entry in Russia, however, if you're coming
to Russia for longer than 3 months, some Russian consulates will require an
AIDS certificate before issuing your visa.
It is recommended to have the following vaccinations: tetanus and
encephalitos if you're going to trek in taiga forests during May -
June (in Karelia, around Novosibirsk and around Baikal).
Russia is quite a dirty country, so we recommend to always be careful
when you buy food outside, always wash fresh fruits and vegetables,
and try to keep your hands clean (hygenic towels or handkerchiefs
may help). It may sound
too obvious, but there were some cases in the last years
when people would get hepatitis A or even cholera just because they bought
some fruits at a market and were not careful. There's a bigger risk for such
deseases in south Russia.
Also, in the last years there's a kind of burst of gynecological deseases.
The most wide spread deseases are syphilis, hepatitis B, chlamidios. Also,
there's an increasing number of people with HIV (that's why the Russian embassy
asks for AIDS certificate - it's becoming a big problem in Russia...). So,
to avoid troubles, be careful in choosing your partners and always use condoms.
Medicines, Contraception, Personal Hygiene
Condoms and personal hygiene products
are widely available in almost any shop and every pharmacy. LIght medicines,
such as Aspirin, brand-name pain-killers, tablets, vitamins
are sold in all pharmacies as well. There are all the international
brands, so there will not be a problem with choice. If you're
taking any medication, it may be worth to check what its name
is in Russian (or an equivalent) before you arrive.
Alternative medicine and homeopathy is not popular
in Russia, so if you're using any of these, it's better to bring
them along.
Certains medicines fall under regulations when you can't take more than a certain
amount (usually 1-2 doses) without a special permission. Seek the latest advice
with the Russian customs authorities or post your question in our Talk
Lounge forums and we'll try to find out for you.
Health
Insurance & Assistance
The state
health system in Russia in general is far from being good and there are
huge queues, so we recommend to avoid using its services for
some minor problems.
If you are looking
for western standard health care it is best to
go to private clinics of which
there are many in Moscow and St. Petersburg (see
Practicalities sections of the relevant
city guides for addresses). You will have to pay as much as in Europe
or the USA. It is also advisable to ask your Russian friends
if they know a good doctor, as this arrangement can save you
a lot of money.
The bigger state hospitals, however, have
good doctors, so in case
of
emergency
you
can still
use
them.
Most of the people need health insurance to be treated at a hospital,
however, some countries have reciprocal
health
care agreements
with Russia. For example, British nationals do not need health insurance
in Russia, as their domestic health insurance is valid in Russia as well.
Contact
your local health care office for details.
Safety & Security
Advice for Russia
Russia
is not more dangerous than any other place in the world and if
you practise your normal travel safery, you will be OK. Here are
a few practical advices:
• Try to avoid dark empty areas in cities during the night;
• Make a copy of all your important documents and store it separately. Also,
it'll help if you have emergency phone numbers (credit card block, your embassy
etc.) written down somewhere; It's better if you have a special money bag, to
protect your essential papers and money;
• If you were robbed, the first thing you should do is to go to police,
preferrably in the area where it happened and get some sort of paper from them
confirming what has happened. Then you can go to the embassy of your country
to help you arrange the new documents, if needed.
• Don't pay attention to drunk and bully people, just pass by;
• Try to keep your money inaccessible and don't show piles of cash :-)
• Try not to mess with mafia guys and cops, but don't be afraid of them;
• Read our Emergency section to know
what you should do in case there's a problem;
• Women travelers will be interested in our Women
Travelers Advice section.
Comments, Questions...
If
you have a question or a comment, please, post it in Russia
Talk Lounge Forums.
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