Travel Health Advisory
A travel health advisory is an official government notice about disease outbreaks or health risks in a specific destination.
A travel health advisory is an official government notice about disease outbreaks or health risks in a specific destination.
Also known as
Travel advisory, Health warning, Travel notice, Disease outbreak alert, FCDO travel advice
Why travellers need to know
Travel health advisories are your early warning system. They're issued by government health agencies (CDC, NaTHNaC, WHO) when disease outbreaks, environmental hazards, or healthcare disruptions affect travellers. They range from 'be aware' to 'avoid all travel'. Checking advisories before booking and again before departure catches emerging risks that weren't present when you planned the trip.
Real-world example
You're about to book flights to the Dominican Republic when you check the CDC travel notices and find a Level 2 advisory for dengue fever. The advisory doesn't say 'don't go'; it says 'practice enhanced precautions'. You proceed with the trip but pack DEET repellent, book accommodation with screens and air conditioning, and brief your travel companion on dengue symptoms.
Country-specific notes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
FCDO + NaTHNaC: separate travel and health advice
The UK splits travel advice between the FCDO (security and political risk) and NaTHNaC/TravelHealthPro (health risks). Both should be checked. NaTHNaC provides country-specific vaccination requirements, outbreak alerts, and health risk assessments.
🇺🇸 United States
CDC uses a 4-level travel notice system
The CDC issues travel health notices at 4 levels: Watch (Level 1), Alert (Level 2), Warning (Level 3), and Do Not Travel (Level 4 — COVID-era only). The State Department issues separate security-focused advisories. Check both before travel.
🇦🇺 Australia
Australia's Smartraveller advisory service is one of the most detailed in the world — with 5-tier risk ratings
The Australian DFAT publishes Smartraveller advisories with destination-specific health, safety, and entry advice updated in near real-time. Quality is comparable to the UK FCDO and US State Department systems.
Register your trip on Smartraveller before departure — DFAT uses registration data to prioritise assistance to Australians during overseas emergencies.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I check travel health advisories?
UK: NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro (travelhealthpro.org.uk) + FCDO (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice). US: CDC Traveler's Health (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) + State Department (travel.state.gov). Australia: Smartraveller (smartraveller.gov.au). WHO also issues global outbreak alerts.
How often do travel health advisories change?
Frequently. Advisories can change within days during outbreaks, civil unrest, or natural disasters. The UK FCDO, US State Department, and Australian DFAT update them in near real-time. Set up alerts for your destination on your government's official travel advisory website before and during your trip.
Your Nomedic record helps you act on health advisories by showing which vaccinations you already have and which medications you might need for your destination.