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Although there are no
compulsory vaccinations required to enter the country,
certain precautions should be taken, certainly if you're
staying for any length of time or visiting the more remote
regions. Taking out travel insurance is ital, and you
should take all possible precautions to guard against AIDS,
a major worry in Brazil
Most standard drugs are available in pharmacies, farmácias,
which you'll find everywhere - no prescriptions are
necessary. A pharmacy will also give injections (you need a
tetanus jab if you get bitten by a dog) and free medical
advice, and they're a good first line of defense if you fall
ill.
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Emergency phone numbers vary from place to place, but you'll
always find them listed in phone boxes - look for Bombeiros
or Polícia Civil.
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If you are unlucky enough to need medical treatment in
Brazil, forget about the public hospitals - as a foreigner
you have virtually no chance of getting a bed unless you
have an infectious disease, and the level of health care
offered by most is appalling. You can get reasonably good
medical and dental care privately: North Americans will
think it fairly inexpensive, Europeans used to
state-subsidized health care will not. A doctor's visit will
cost on average US$35-50; drugs are relatively cheap. Local
tourist offices and smart hotels in big cities will have
lists of English, French and German-speaking doctors ; ask for a
doctor.
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Outside the larger
centers, you will probably
have to try out your Portuguese. If a medical emergency occurs in an
out-of-the-way location, there's an excellent air ambulance service
(phone 011/5506-0606, fax 846-8689) that guarantees collection anywhere
in the country within 24 hours of calling. If considering this option be
sure to contact your travel insurance company before phoning for a
plane.
Many diseases are
directly or indirectly related to impure water and contaminated food,
and care should be taken over what you eat and drink.
With a little common sense, it's quite easy to establish whether
food is fresh or not, and always ensure that it's properly cooked.
Special caution should be taken with seafood, especially shellfish -
don't eat anything that's at all suspicious. Fruit and salad ingredients
should be washed in bottled or purified water or, preferably, peeled.
Ultimately you are going to run some risks with food, so if you're going
to enjoy your stay to the full, there's no sense in being too paranoid.
even in the most remote towns and villages mineral water ( água
mineral), either sparkling ( com gás) or still ( sem gás), is easily
available and cheap. To avoid dehydration be sure to drink plenty of
non-alcoholic liquids, always carry a bottle of water on long trips and
check that the seal on any bottled water you use is intact.
As with food, it's
difficult to be on guard all the time; fruit juices are more
often than not diluted, at best with only filtered water,
and while it is wise to avoid ice in general this is
well-nigh impossible
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Brazil
guide
Brazil
Where To Go
Weather
Average temperatures
Getting there
visas,
consulates
Insurances
travelers with disabilities
Costs, Money And Banks
Getting Around
Eating And Drinking
Street foods, snacks
Restaurants
vegetarian /natural
Soft drinks, hot drinks
traveling with
Kids
Robberies, hold ups, drugs
Women travelers
Gays and
lesbian
Best of Brazil
Health,
vaccinations
Info and
maps
Media
Holidays
-Carnaval
-World
Cup, Festas Juninas
Soccer, football
-Going
to a football match
-Football
teams, clubs, shirts
Nature and
Amazon
Brazilian
music
-Bossa nova
-Bahian
sound
-Contemporary
singers, musicians
-Brazilian
rhythms
-Discography
-Lie
and recording
Rio de Janeiro
guide
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