There are no inoculations officially required of travellers.
However you should always be up to date with polio and tetanus. Jabs against hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera are also worth considering.
Those intending to stay a long time in the country, especially if working with animals or in the healthcare field, are also advised to consider vaccinations against TB, hepatitis B, diphtheria and rabies.
Yellow fever Yellow fever vaccination is not required for Morocco. However, the mosquito that spreads yellow fever has been known to be present in parts of the Middle East and Africa. Consult your local travel health clinic as part of your pre-departure plans for the latest details. For this reason, any travellers from a yellow fever endemic area will need to show proof of vaccination against yellow fever before entry. This normally means if arriving directly from an infected country or if the traveller has been in an infected country during the last 10 days. We would recommend that travellers carry a certificate if they have been in an infected country during the previous month to avoid any possible difficulties with immigration.
Bilharzia is present in small foci. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Soil parasites are also present; visitors should wear shoes. Bilharzia is caused by a tiny fluke worm that lives part of its life cycle in a freshwater snail. You’ll probably get a slightly itchy rash an hour or two later where the flukes have entered the skin. Later symptoms may take several months to appear, and are typified by abdominal pains, and blood in faeces or even urine.
Avoid drinking water from mountain streams.Using iodine water purification tablets, or boiling any drinking or cooking water (remember that you’ll have to boil it for longer at high altitudes, where the boiling point is lower) is the simplest way to avoid putting yourself at risk from either of these illnesses.
Hepatitis A and E also occur. Immunisations are sometimes recommended for hepatitis B, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Tungiasis and Lassa fever occur, although rarely.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical attention without delay.
Malaria
Moroccan authorities deny the existence of malaria anywhere on Moroccan territory, including the Western Sahara, but other authorities report occasional cases between May and October in the region to the north of Beni Mellal and Khenifra, in the area between Chaouen and Larache, and in the province of Taza.
Avoid bites; use mosquito repellent on all exposed areas of skin,especially around dusk. Repellents using DEET are recommended for adults, though alternatives are citronella oil and Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil, both of which are highly effective, safe for children, and don’t contain nasty chemicals, though citronella oil is only effective for a few hours, not all night.
Typhoid If you have not had a typhoid jab then you could buy some Intétrix capsules from any pharmacy in Morocco. These are excellent antibacterial medication - useful for diarrhoea as well as typhoid prevention - and some doctors consider them more effective than inoculation.
Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion occurs following heavy sweating and excessive fluid loss with inadequate replacement of fluids and salt. Symptoms include headache, dizziness and tiredness. The treatment of heat exhaustion involves fluid replacement with water or fruit juice or both, and cooling by cold water and fans. The treatment of the salt loss component involves consuming salty fluids such as soup, and adding a little more table salt to foods than usual.
Heat stroke is much more serious. This occurs when the body’s heat-regulating mechanism breaks down. Excessive rise in body temperature leads to sweating ceasing, irrational and hyperactive behaviour and eventually loss of consciousness and death. Rapid cooling by spraying the body with water and fanning is an ideal treatment.
Altitude sickness
Lack of oxygen at high altitudes (over 2500m) affects most people to some extent. The effect may be mild or severe. Symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) usually develop during the first 24 hours at altitude but may be delayed up to three weeks. Mild symptoms include headache, lethargy, dizziness, difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite. AMS may become more severe without warning and can be fatal. Severe symptoms include breathlessness, a dry, irritative cough, severe headache, lack of coordination and balance, confusion, vomiting, drowsiness and unconsciousness. AMS has been fatal at 3000m, although 3500m to 4500m is the usual range. Treat mild symptoms by resting at the same altitude until recovery, which usually takes a day or two.
Food & drink
Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns may be contaminated and sterilisation is advisable.
Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk.
Eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Health Care
Full health insurance is essential. There are good medical facilities in all main cities, including emergency pharmacies outside normal opening hours. Government hospitals provide free or minimal charge emergency treatment.
For minor health complaints, a visit to a pharmacy is likely to be sufficient. Moroccan pharmacists are well trained and dispense a wide range of drugs.If you need hospital treatment , contact your consulate at once and follow their advice. If you are near a major city, reasonable treatment may be available locally.
However, Morocco is not a country in which to fall seriously ill.
