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Health
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No specific inoculations or health precautions are necessary for a trip to Austria. Minor complaints can be dealt with at any pharmacy (
Apotheke
); pharmacy hours are usually Monday to Friday 8am to noon and 2 to 6pm and Saturday 8am to noon. Pharmacies take turns in staying open at lunchtimes, weekends and overnight. Details of which pharmacies are open at these times are posted in all pharmacy windows, outside the police station and in local newspapers.
For serious complaints, head for the casualty department of the nearest hospital ( Krankenhaus ), or call an ambulance (tel 144). As members of the EU, citizens of the UK and Ireland receive free emergency hospital treatment in Austria on production of their passport, though there may be a charge for any medication. Nationals of other countries should check whether their government has a reciprocal health agreement with Austria, or whether they are covered by their personal medical insurance.
The best readily accessible source of
information
about travel health matters is
www.cdc.gov
operated by the US government's Centers for Disease Control. In Britain, pick up the Department of Health's free booklet
Health Advice for Travellers
, available at post offices, by phone on 0800/555777, or at
www.open.gov.uk/doh/hat
. The booklet includes an application for Form E111, which entitles all EU citizens to free medical care across the EU. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Austria |