If spring time has come and you're planning a trip to the mystical land of tales of ancient tales and legends, Egypt, then you should keep in mind a few health precautions to ensure the fulfilment and enjoyment of your lifetime fantasy and dream to visit Egypt.

Vaccines:

I must tell you it's highly advisable that you take the following vaccines, as they're the most important & necessary. :

• measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine,
• diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine,
• varicella (chickenpox) vaccine,
• polio vaccine,
• flu vaccine (your annual dose)

Also there are vaccines recommended to people who like experimenting local food, drinks & water, or those who're going to be staying at a friends place.

• Hepatits A : This one you should take whether you're staying at a hotel or someone's place. It's a virus that can be transmitted through contaminated foods or drinks.
• Typhoid : Get this one if you're planning to stay at someone's place.

Also here are some extras :

• Rabies vaccine : If you're an adventurer who likes to get involved in activities such as camping in the desert or hiking. Also for kids, it might be necessary, should they get bitten while interacting with some animal.
• Yellow fever : For those coming from certain countries this vaccine is required by the authorities in Egypt. Mainly these countries include : Angola, Cameroon, Brazil, Argentina and others.

What about food and drinks?

To all those risk-takers and fans of exploring different cultures, please read very well, what I'm about to write.

It's highly advisable, that you eat only well cooked food, that's served to you hot. Stay away from food presented to you at room temperature. I don't recommend that you eat from any food carts or street vendors. About eggs, they better be hard cooked , not raw or runny. As for veggies and fruits, don't go for them unless they've been peeled and washed by yourself or whoever's with you.

Now let's talk about water and drinks. Ready? Don't come close to tap water, please, unless you're going to wash your face or take a shower. Only drink from sealed water bottles, as it's surely disinfected. Make sure any coffee or hot drinks you're going to have are prepared using water that's been disinfected. Make sure the milk you drink, if you decide to do so, is pasteurized.

Should I take any meds with me on the trip to Egypt?

Not really. We have all kinds of pharmaceutical products here. If you start having diarrhea all of a sudden, some hours after a meal, go to the nearest pharmacy and ask for Flagyl 500, Amrizole 500 or Antinal capsules. One capsule every 12 hours for 3 days will be more than enough. As for colics, Visceralgine tabs is one of the best products in my opinion.

Also we have :

Panadol: for headaches and fever
Cataflam: for all kinds of pain as well as headaches and fever.

Don't let the Mosquitoes bite 

The problem with mosquitoes is they're annoying and not just that. Most importantly they can cause you a lot of health issues via transmitting diseases which have no vaccines or antidotes, so its extremely vital to have a tough defense mechanism against that troublesome flying bloodsucker. Don't you agree.

Use products in which DEET is the main active constituent. In Egypt, the most popular product is Off spray, which you'll find available at all pharmacies and retail stores. It's currently 70 pounds, by the way.

So, let's say you got bitten by a mosquito. What do you do? Apply any cream product containing Hydrocortisone, such as Betnovate, Dermovate, Cutivate or Momenta, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. Another option or additional treatment would be Calamine lotion which relieves the itching sensation, largely. Apply it to the bitten areas of your skin, and hopefully you'll get better within a short period of time.

Finally, it's very important, to carry with you, a list of the doctors and health centers located proximally to where you'll be staying, in Egypt. Check the list of meds not allowed by the Egyptian ministry of health by contacting the Egyptian embassy at your country, prior to coming. Bring a collections of pharmaceutical OTC products that always come handy when you're facing a medical problem, with which you're familiar.

What should I wear?

That completely depends on the season during which you're visiting Egypt. If its summertime. Don't bring any heavy clolthes with you. Light stuff only. Shorts, shirts, sleeveless chemises, thin pants. That's all cool. Also sunglasses and a sunscreen with an SPF that's at least 15, would be quiet necessary, so keep it in mind. We have quiet high temperatures, during the day, yet at night the heat drops down and the weather gets really nice and relaxing.

On the other hand, the winter's moderately cool here, with some relatively chilly days, so I suppose and heavy jacket and some pullovers would be abundant.