British Virgin Islands

Country fact file

General information

The information on these pages should be used to research health risks and to inform the pre-travel consultation.

Travellers should check the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) country-specific travel advice page (where available) which provides information on travel entry requirements in addition to safety and security advice.

Travellers should ideally arrange an appointment with their health professional at least four to six weeks before travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. This appointment provides an opportunity to assess health risks taking into account a number of factors including destination, medical history, and planned activities. For those with pre-existing health problems, an earlier appointment is recommended.

All travellers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance.

A list of useful resources including advice on how to reduce the risk of certain health problems is available below.

What resources are available for health advice in the British Virgin Islands?

• Food and water hygiene

• Insect and tick bite avoidance

• Personal safety

• Sun protection

What vaccinations do I need for the British Virgin Islands?

Details of vaccination recommendations and requirements are provided below.

Vaccine recommendations

Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine.

Country-specific diphtheria recommendations are not provided here. Diphtheria tetanus and polio are combined in a single vaccine in the UK. Therefore, when a tetanus booster is recommended for travellers, diphtheria vaccine is also given. Should there be an outbreak of diphtheria in a country, diphtheria vaccination guidance will be provided.

Those who may be at increased risk of an infectious disease due to their work, lifestyle choice, or certain underlying health problems should be up to date with additional recommended vaccines. See details on the selective immunisation programmes and additional vaccines for individuals with underlying medical conditions at the bottom of the Complete routine immunisation schedule document and the individual chapters of the 'Green Book' Immunisation against infectious disease for further details.

Certificate requirements

There are no certificate requirements under International Health Regulations.

Most travellers

The vaccines in this section are recommended for most travellers visiting this country. Information on these vaccines can be found by clicking on the blue arrow. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

Tetanus

Tetanus is caused by a toxin released from Clostridium tetani bacteria and occurs worldwide. Tetanus bacteria are present in soil and manure and may be introduced through open wounds such as a puncture wound, burn or scratch.

Prevention

Travellers should thoroughly clean all wounds and seek medical attention for injuries such as animal bites/scratches, burns or wounds contaminated with soil.

Tetanus vaccination

• Travellers should have completed a tetanus vaccination course according to the UK schedule.

• If travelling to a country or area where medical facilities may be limited, a booster dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine is recommended if the last dose was more than ten years ago even if five doses of vaccine have been given previously.

Country-specific information on medical facilities may be found in the 'health' section of the FCDO foreign travel advice pages.

Tetanus in brief

Some travellers

The vaccines in this section are recommended for some travellers visiting this country. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

Dengue

Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes which mainly feed during daytime hours. It causes a flu-like illness, which can occasionally develop into a more serious life-threatening illness. Severe dengue is rare in travellers.

The mosquitoes that spread dengue are more common in towns, cities and surrounding areas.

There is a risk of dengue on these islands.

Information on current outbreaks, where available, will be reported on our outbreak surveillance database.

Prevention

• Travellers should avoid mosquito bites, particularly during daytime hours.

Dengue vaccination
Vaccination can be considered for individuals aged 4 years of age and older who have had dengue infection in the past and who are:

• travelling to areas where there is a risk of dengue infection or areas with an ongoing outbreak of dengue, or

• are exposed to dengue virus through their work, such as laboratory staff working with the virus.

Exceptionally, vaccination can be considered in those who have not had dengue in the past. In these situations, further expert advice should be considered. Detailed guidance on how to ascertain previous infection is available in the UK Health Security Agency Immunisation against infectious disease the 'Green book'. The final decision on vaccination rests with the health professional and the traveller after a detailed risk assessment has been performed and the potential risks of vaccination explained.

Dengue in brief

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a viral infection transmitted through contaminated food and water or by direct contact with an infectious person. Symptoms are often mild or absent in young children, but the disease can be more serious with advancing age. Recovery can vary from weeks to months. Following hepatitis A infection immunity is lifelong.

Prevention

All travellers should take care with personal, food and water hygiene.

Hepatitis A vaccination
Vaccination is recommended for those whose activities put them at increased risk. This includes:

• Those who are staying with or visiting the local population.

• Frequent and/or long-stay travellers to areas where sanitation and food hygiene are likely to be poor.

• Adventure travellers visiting rural areas and staying in basic accommodation such as backpackers.

• Those with existing medical conditions such as liver disease or haemophilia.

• Men who have sex with men.

• People who inject drugs.

• Those who may be exposed to the virus through their work.

• Those going to areas of hepatitis A outbreaks who have limited access to safe water and medical care.

Hepatitis A in brief

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection spread through blood, semen and vaginal fluids. This mostly occurs during sexual contact or as a result of blood-to-blood contact (for example from contaminated equipment during medical and dental procedures, tattooing or body piercing procedures, and sharing of intravenous needles). Mothers with the virus can also pass on the infection to their baby during childbirth.

This country is considered to have an intermediate or high prevalence of hepatitis B.

Prevention

Travellers should avoid contact with blood or body fluids. This includes:

• Avoiding unprotected sexual intercourse.

• Avoiding tattooing, piercing, public shaving, and acupuncture (unless sterile equipment is used).

• Not sharing needles or other injection equipment.

• Following universal precautions if working in a healthcare or other higher risk setting.

A sterile medical equipment kit may be helpful when travelling to resource poor areas.

Hepatitis B vaccination
Vaccination could be considered for all travellers and is recommended for those whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk. This includes:

• Those who may have unprotected sex.

• Those who may be exposed to contaminated needles through injecting drug use.

• Those who may be exposed to blood or body fluids through their work (e.g. health and aid workers).

• Those at high risk of requiring medical or dental procedures or hospitalisation e.g. those with pre-existing medical conditions, those who may require travelling for medical care abroad, or those travelling to visit families or relatives.

• Long-stay travellers.

• Those who are participating in contact sports.

• Families adopting children from this country.

Hepatitis B in brief

Rabies (Bat Lyssavirus)

Although rare, bat lyssaviruses (bat rabies) can be transmitted to humans or other animals following contact with the saliva of an infected bat most often by a bite. The disease can also be transmitted if the saliva of an infected bat gets into open wounds or mucous membranes (such as on the eye, nose or mouth). Bat lyssaviruses can cause disease in humans that is indistinguishable from rabies.

Symptoms can take some time to develop, but when they do the condition is almost always fatal.

The risk to most travellers is low. However, it is increased for certain occupations for example bat handlers and veterinarians, or certain activities such as caving.

Bat Lyssavirus in British Virgin Islands

Rabies has not been reported in this country; therefore most travellers are considered to be at low risk. However, bats may carry bat lyssavirus (bat rabies).

Prevention

• Travellers should avoid contact with bats. Bites from bats are frequently unrecognised. Rabies-like disease caused by bat lyssaviruses is preventable with prompt post-exposure rabies treatment.

• Following a possible exposure, wounds should be thoroughly cleansed and an urgent local medical assessment sought, even if the wound appears trivial. Although rabies has not been reported in other animals in this country, it is sensible to seek prompt medical advice if bitten or scratched. It is possible, although very rare for bats to pass rabies like viruses to other animals including pets.

• Post-exposure treatment and advice should be in accordance with national guidelines.

Rabies vaccination
A full course of pre-exposure vaccines simplifies and shortens the course of post-exposure treatment and removes the need for rabies immunoglobulin which is in short supply world-wide.

• Pre-exposure rabies vaccinations are recommended for those who are at increased risk due to their work (e.g. laboratory staff working with the virus and those working with bats).

• Pre exposure vaccines could be considered for those whose activities put them at increased risk of exposure to bats.

Rabies in brief

What other risks should I be aware of while traveling in the British Virgin Islands?

There are some risks that are relevant to all travellers regardless of destination. These may for example include road traffic and other accidents, diseases transmitted by insects or ticks, diseases transmitted by contaminated food and water, or health issues related to the heat or cold.

Some additional risks (which may be present in all or part of this country) are mentioned below and are presented alphabetically. Select a risk to expand information.

Other risks

There is a risk of insect or tick-borne diseases in some areas of the Caribbean. This includes diseases such as West Nile virus.

Prevention

• All travellers should avoid insect and tick bites day and night.

• There are no vaccinations (or medications) to prevent these diseases.

Further information about specific insect or tick-borne diseases for this country can be found, if appropriate on this page, in other sections of the country information pages and the insect and tick bite avoidance factsheet.

Source and disclaimer

This travel health information is based on data supplied by NaTHNaC (the National Travel Health Network and Centre). All intellectual property rights in the data are owned by NaTHNaC. It must not be copied, reproduced, distributed, amended or offered for sale without NaTHNaC’s prior written consent.
Patient.info ensures that this information is reviewed and updated on at least a weekly basis. However, NaTHNaC’s data is accurate only as at the date it was prepared, and Patient.info is solely responsible for maintaining its accuracy and completeness after that date. NaTHNaC accepts no liability for the use of this data by Patient.info or its users.