St. Thomas · Tourism

Health and Safety Tips for Visiting St. Thomas

St. Thomas is one of the safest tropical islands to visit and has no problems with outbreaks of any disease. There are no health requirements when visiting St Thomas. But, you should be up on all of your immunizations just for your own precautions. It is also wise to visit your doctor before going on any vacation.

The recommended immunizations for traveling to St Thomas include:

• Hepatitis A for anyone over the age of two and should be given two to four weeks before you leave.
• Tetanus-diphtheria for anyone traveling abroad that has not gotten the immunization in the last 10 years.
• Measles for anyone born after 1956.
• Varicella (chickenpox) for anyone over the age of one year.
• Hepatitis B if you may have any contact with the local residents or in case of blood transfusions or possibly an injection.
• Immunizations that you do not need to worry about receiving include polio, cholera, and typhoid unless you are planning on staying for an extended time in a rural area.

The local hospital in St. Thomas is the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital and is located at 9048 Sugar Estate. Their telephone number is 340-776-8311.

You can also find information for traveling abroad and they have current worldwide public announcements, travel warnings and public announcements. This will also keep you up to date on any health and safety information you may need before traveling to St Thomas.

The major problem that most people have when traveling anywhere outside of their own country is travelers diarrhea. This is the most common problem throughout the world and is not a major concern. You should bring anti-diarrhea medication along with you on your vacation, just in case. If you do begin to have these symptoms and the medication does not solve the problem or you have had more than 3 or 4 loose stools in a 24 hour period you should visit a health professional. You may need antibiotics to help with this problem.

St Thomas has been known to have experienced occasional outbreaks of Dengue Fever, which is a flu-like illness transmitted Aedes mosquitoes so you should remember to bring along your insect repellant. They usually are found in densely populated areas and bite during the daylight hours.

It is best not to eat fresh fruits or vegetables unless they are peeled or cooked. You should also watch out for foods that have been cooked and left to sit out. Bacteria can grow and the foods can become hazardous. Any products that may have been made with un-pasteurized milk should also be avoided, this would include ice cream. It is best not to eat any product from a street vendor. Also, some types of fish may contain toxins and should be avoided these include barracuda, red snapper, grouper, amberjack, sea bass and a few other tropical reef fish.

St Thomas does not really have any crime to mention, but you should use your common sense. If you rent and drive a car, lock the car when you are shopping, eating or just relaxing on the beach. Do not leave valuables in the car. It is best if you do not travel with valuables, if you must then it is best to place them in a safety deposit box at your hotel. Do not carry around large sums of cash and only get out just enough cash to pay for your purchase. When you are going to the beach do not carry such items such as your wallet, purse, money, keys or other items that could easily picked up. If you leave items unattended you are just asking for them to be taken. Just use common sense, crime can happen in your own neighborhood. Preventing a crime from happening by paying attention to what you are doing and what others are doing is the best way to keep yourself save.

Emergency telephone number for the police and fire department is 911. If you wish to call the police other than an emergency situation you can call them at 774-2211. For more information from the Tourism Department you can call 774 8784.

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See you on the Island, John "Big Hat" Walsh