North and Central America and Caribbean

Medical treatment can be very expensive; there are no special arrangements for British visitors. The British Embassy and Consulates-General cannot assist you with medical expenses. You should ensure that you have comprehensive medical insurance, which includes hospital treatment and medical evacuation to the UK

A (H1N1) Swine Influenza

Human cases of A (H1N1) - swine influenza have been reported in all 50 states. You should check for updates on the number of deaths and their location through ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ at www.cdc.gov .  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website at: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html has further details.  In addition, you should monitor local media reports for any developments and advice.  There is a dedicated Swine Flu page onf the FCO website.  Guidance about pandemic flu is available through the UK Department of Health at www.dh.gov.uk and www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH-098531. 

West Nile virus is common to the USA and there are occasional outbreaks of eastern equine encephalitis (triple e virus) reported.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 1,100,000 adults aged 15 or over in the USA were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.6% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to the USA and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health.