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Health

Here’s a few general health tips. Of course, you should check with your doctor before travelling.

Hospitals

Hospitals in large cities are fairly modern.  Large cities should have an English speaking doctor or even a special division of the hospital devoted to foreigners.

Medical Insurance

Check with a few medical insurance providers to try to find the best medical insurance deal for your needs.  Prices and coverage varies widely from one country to another. You could also bring a copy of your medical record with you.
 
Prescription Medicines
 
Make sure to take a sufficient amount of any prescription medicines that you need for your trip.  If you are living in China or are going to be there for a long time then plan ahead of time to make sure your medicine is available.  Remember to keep medicines in their original labeled containers and keep a copy of your prescription.  This ensures that you will not get hassled at customs and it will be easier for you to get your prescription medicine in China if needed. 
 
Non-Prescription Medicines
 
You may also consider bringing some medicine such as diarhea medicine, digestive tablets, cold medicine and pills for headaches.  To put it in non-medical terms, foreigners may experience "shuǐ tǔ bù fú" (水土不服) which means they are "not used to the water and earth" of China.
 
 
Shots and Vaccines

No vaccinations are currently required to enter China.  However, you should check with your local health agency before travel and take what they recommend.  The vaccines required may vary based on what country you are from and the previous vaccines you have been given.
 

Water

Tap water is not drinkable straight from the tap.  If you do drink water straight from the tap you are likely to get diarrhea.  The tap water is safe enough to brush your teeth and shower in.  Just try not to swallow. 

 
Chinese people often boil the water to kill the bacteria and then drink it.  However, it is safest to buy bottled water from a reputable company such as Nongfu Springs.  Avoid water jugs (the large water cooler type). There have been many cases of contaminated water being sold in sealed water jugs.

Smoking

Smoking is very common and can be hard to get away from.  There are no non-smoking sections in almost all restaurants.  Chinese people often do not pay attention to non-smoking signs either.  Chinese men may be pushy in offering cigarettes to other men but it is not rude to refuse a cigarette.

 
Pollution
 
Air pollution is a huge problem in the larger cities and even a problem in the small and medium sized cities.  (Keep in mind that a “small city” in China has about 1 million people and a “medium city” has about 3 to 8 million people).  Unfortunately this is a problem for which there is no easy fix.  Some people wear masks.
 
High Altitudes
 
People with high blood pressure or other health problems should avoid the parts of China with high altitudes.  These parts are in Western China and include Tibet (Xizang), Xinjiang, Yunan and Sichuan.
 
Links
 
US government health advice for travel in China
 
Health and other safety information for Canadians travelling to China
 
World Health Organization - China