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IMMUNIZATIONS
Here are the recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for immunizations for travelers to Turkey.

Here's what the UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre recommends.

Here's what NHS Scotland's Fit for Travel recommends.

Check your country's travel health recommendations before consulting your doctor and making your own decision about immunizations.

As for me, unless there is some special epidemic alert (H1N1/Swine Flu, Avian Flu, etc.), or if I'm going to do something unusual (such as go camping in a swampy malaria-endemic district for a long time), I get no special immunizations for a trip to Turkey.

TAKE IT EASY
To stay healthy while you travel in Turkey, don't overdo it.

Eat and drink in moderation and get plenty of rest. If you're not feeling well, rest in your hotel room rather than pushing onward. (If you push onward and get sicker you'll have to rest even longer and you'll lose even more travel time.)

SUN & HEAT
In the warm months, use sunblock lotion regularly and wear a hat to avoid sunburn. Drink liquids regularly (at least every hour) in hot, dry weather—even if you don't feel thirsty—to avoid dehydration. Surprisingly, mild dehydration can bring on stomach upsets, dizziness and diarrhea which are often mistaken for food ailments. The cure is simple: remember to drink a glass of water or a soft drink every hour!

FOOD
Consult your doctor concerning Travelers Diarrhea. Changes in food can disturb digestion, so go easy on the spicy food. (Most Turkish food is not spicy.) Be careful not to overeat. In fact, you should "undereat," especially early in your trip. Once your digestive system becomes familiar with new intestinal flora, you can try new foods.

DRINK
Drink bottled spring water, available everywhere. Go easy on tea and coffee, which can contribute to dehydration and sleeplessness, and can aggravate digestive problems. If you use alcoholic beverages, do so sparingly, if at all. Alcohol increases the risk of dehydration and stomach upset.

	Look for the big E sign for an Eczane

PHARMACIES/CHEMISTS'
Every Turkish city and town has pharmacies/chemists (eczane, EDJ-zah-NEH) where you can buy medicines, medical aids and equipment, including such items as soaps, bandages, toothpaste and condoms (prezervatif).

Although a doctor's prescription is obviously best, it is often not required. In fact, pharmacists/chemists (usually both male and female in attendance) will often recommend specific medicines for simple maladies if you tell them your symptoms.

Prices for medicines are government controlled, and therefore usually low to moderate.

On Sundays and holidays, one or more eczane in a city will open as nöbetçi eczanesi (nur-BET-chee edj-zah-neh-see, duty pharmacy/chemist) because illness knows no holiday. Signs in the windows of closed pharmacies/chemists' give the addresses of the nöbetçi ezcanesi's, but the open shops may be quite a distance from where you are, so you may need help finding one.

MEDICAL CARE
All Turkish cities, especially provincial capitals, have hospitals (hastane), and towns have clinics (klinik, sağlık ocağı), often with staff who speak at least some English. Besides government hospitals (devlet hastanesi), there are now many private and specialty hospitals that are often of top quality and thoroughly up-to-date.

Some specialize in "medical tourism," that is, travel to obtain elective medical procedures that may be less expensive or available more readily in Turkey than in your home country.

Your country's consulate may be able to help with references and recommendations.

For free referrals to medical facilities in Turkey, click on these links:

Handicapped Travelers Safe Travel in Turkey Street Crime Single Male Scams Travel Insurance Danger Statistics Turkish Food & Drink FAQ: Travel Details Best Itineraries TTP Homepage

Lots of good background info on travel in Turkey...