Australia and the South Pacific Health Information for Travelers to Australia and the South Pacific Australia, Christmas Island, Cook Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, American Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wake Island, Wallis, and utuna The preventive measures you need to take while traveling in this region depend on the areas you visit and the length of time you stay. You should observe the precautions listed in this document in most areas of this region. However, in highly developed areas of Australia and New Zealand, you should observe health precautions similar to those that would apply while traveling in the United States. Travelers' diarrhea, the number one illness in travelers, can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which can contaminate food or water. Make sure your food and drinking water are safe.
Malaria is a preventable infection that can be fatal if left untreated.
A high risk for malaria exists all year in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Travelers to these areas should take mefloquine for malaria prevention. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain of these countries if you are coming from a tropical South American or subSaharan African country. Dengue, filariasis, and Ross River virus are diseases carried by insects that also occur in this region, but the risk to travelers is low. Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.