Shànghǎi Practical information

Health & safety

Before you go

Recommended vaccinations

You should see your doctor at least three months before your trip in order to get your vaccinations in time. The following immunisations are recommended for Shànghǎi.

Diphtheria & tetanus (DT) Booster of 0.5ml every 10 years. It will cause a sore arm and redness at the injection site.

Hepatitis A & B (combined in Twinrix) 1ml at day one, day 30 and six months. Minimal soreness at injection site. You are not immune until after the final shot. If you don’t have time for the six-month booster you will be fully immune for one year for hepatitis A after the second shot and have some immunity for hepatitis B. You may be able to get the third shot at an international medical clinic while travelling.

Influenza Dose of 0.5ml is recommended if you are travelling in the winter months and especially if you are over 60 years of age or have a chronic illness. It should not be given if you are allergic to eggs. Immunity lasts for one year.

Japanese encephalitis A series of three shots over one month only if you plan on being in rural areas for longer than a month. Immunity will last for three years. As there is a risk of an allergic reaction to the second and third shots you must remain close to medical care after you receive these.

Polio Dose of 0.5ml syrup orally every 10 years. There are no side effects.

Typhoid Booster of 0.5ml every three years. Minimal soreness at the injection site.

Do not have any of these immunisations if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is possible to have a shot of gammaglobulin in pregnancy, which gives short-term (four to five months) protection against hepatitis and other viral infections. It is not a common thing to do because it is derived from blood products.

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Online resources

There is a wealth of travel-health advice on the internet. The Lonely Planet website (www.lonelyplanet.com) is a good place to start. The WHO publishes a superb book, called International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at www.who.int/ith/at no cost.

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Dangers & annoyances

Scams

It goes something like this: you get invited for a drink by a friendly stranger who takes you to a private room or karaoke room. The stranger practises his English on you, sings a painful karaoke number, and a few drinks later a xiǎojiě (young waitress) hits you with a staggering bill. On top of gouging a massive chunk from your holiday budget, the experience leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Sadly, it’s all too common in Shànghǎi, so be on your guard. Men can expect to be surrounded by incessant girls practising their English along the pedestrianised lengths of East Nanjing Rd (in the same way as tourists on Wangfujing Dajie in Běijīng); some are taken for a ride and hauled off to expensive cafés where they are left to deal with a stupefying bill.

Watch out for taxi scams, especially at Pudong International Airport and outside the Maglev terminal at Longyang Rd metro station. A registered taxi should always run on a meter and have a license displayed on the dashboard.

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Shànghǎi feels very safe, and crimes against foreigners are rare; even taxi drivers don’t try to rip you off. The virtual absence of sirens or speeding police cars on Shànghǎi’s streets creates either a reassuring or worrying picture of crime overall in the city. Don’t, however, end up in an ambulance; Shànghǎi drivers don’t give way and you could end up croaking way before you grind into A&E.

If you do get something stolen you need to report the crime at the district PSB office and obtain a police report. See Scams for a rundown of common complaints.

The only unlawful activities you are likely to encounter are nonthreatening. DVD piracy is rampant and part of the wholesale theft of intellectual property. Hairdressing salons, glowing with lurid pink lighting and seating rows of preening xiǎojie (young girls), form the most evident frontline of Shànghǎi’s prostitution industry.

Crossing the road is probably the greatest danger: develop avian vision and a sixth sense to combat the shocking traffic. China’s roads kill without mercy; they’re the major cause of death for people aged between 15 and 45, with an estimated 600 traffic deaths per day (WHO figures). Older taxis only have seatbelts in the front passenger seat.

Crossing only when it is safe to do so could perch you at the side of the road in perpetuity, but don’t imitate the local tendency to cross without looking. The green man at traffic lights does not mean it is safe to cross. Instead, it means it is slightly safer to cross, but you can still be run down by traffic allowed to turn on red lights. Bicycles and scooters regularly flout all traffic rules, as do many cars. Bicycles, scooters, mopeds and motorbikes freely take to the pavement, as occasionally do cars.

Other streets hazards include spent neon- light tubes poking from litter bins, open manholes with plunging drops and welders showering pavements with burning sparks. Side streets off the main drag are sometimes devoid of street lights at night, and pavements can be crumbling and uneven. Also prepare for slippery marbled paving slabs in pedestrian areas (eg on East Nanjing Rd) after rain.

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While you're there

Aids & sexually transmitted diseases

AIDS is increasing in China. Always wear a condom if you have sex with a stranger and never share needles.

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Avian influenza

Avian influenza, or ‘bird flu’, presents only a very remote risk to travellers at this time. From 2004 the avian H5N1 virus caused illness in domestic birds around the world. The virus is passed from healthy migratory birds to domestic birds such as chickens and ducks, which then may become sick and die. Transmission has occurred from domestic birds to humans, however it is rare and requires close contact with an infected bird or its droppings. By early 2006 a total of 166 human cases had been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and 88 people had died. These human cases occurred in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, Iraq and China. At the time of writing, China had reported 25 human cases and 16 deaths.

The WHO recommends the following precautions for travellers to affected countries: avoid live poultry markets, avoid eating raw or undercooked poultry or eggs, wash hands frequently, and seek medical attention if you develop a fever and respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath etc).

You can keep up to date on the current situation by visiting the World Health Organization website (www.who.int/en/).

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Cholera

This bacterial infection comes in epidemics and is spread from sewage contamination in poverty-stricken areas. It causes profound vomiting and diarrhoea. The WHO stopped recommending the cholera vaccine because it is ineffective. Prevent cholera by avoiding local seafood restaurants, local water and street stalls with substandard hygiene.

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Giardiasis

This parasite often jumps on board when you have diarrhoea. It then causes a more prolonged illness with intermittent diarrhoea or looseness, bloating, fatigue and some nausea. There may be a metallic taste in the mouth. You can prevent giardiasis by avoiding potentially contaminated foods and always washing your hands before eating. Treatment is with Fasigyn or Flagyl.

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Hepatitis a

This virus is common in Shànghǎi and is transmitted through contaminated water and shellfish. It is most commonly caught at local seafood restaurants. Immunisation and avoiding suspicious restaurants will help prevent it. If you do get hepatitis A it means six to eight weeks of illness and future intolerance to alcohol.

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Hepatitis b

While this is common in the area, it is transmitted only by unprotected sex, sharing needles, treading on a discarded needle, or receiving contaminated blood. You should always use a condom, never share needles, and always protect your feet on commonly used beaches. Vaccination against hepatitis B before you travel is a wise option as it can be a chronic, debilitating illness.

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Influenza

Shànghǎi has a bad flu season over the cold winter months from December to March. The flu is essentially a cold but with a high fever and aches and pains. You should wash your hands frequently, avoid anybody you know who has the flu, and think about having a flu shot before you travel. Secondary bronchitis is the most common complication of the flu and may require antibiotics.

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Japanese encephalitis

Mosquitoes that feed on birds carry this potentially fatal virus, hence it is limited to rural areas of China, particularly near rice fields. It is most common in summer and autumn. If you avoid mosquito bites you will not get this! Vaccination is recommended if you are travelling in rural areas for longer than one month.

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Malaria

Prophylactic tablets are required only if you are travelling to remote rural communities below 1500m of the following latitudes: from July to November north of latitude 33°N, from May to December between 33°N and 25°N, and throughout the year south of 25°N. For day trips out of Shànghǎi you do not need tablets, though you should take precautions against bites. Mosquitoes that bite between dusk and dawn transmit malaria, so use your DEET insect repellent often.

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Traveller’s diarrhoea

This is the most common disease that a traveller will encounter throughout Asia. Many different types of organisms, usually bacteria (eg E.coli, salmonella) are responsible and the result is sudden diarrhoea and/or vomiting, with or without fever. It is caught from contaminated food or water. Most locals become immune to the bugs after living in an area for a while so travellers are more at risk, and it usually occurs within the first week of exposure.

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Tuberculosis (tb)

The risk of this bacterial infection for travellers is low as it requires prolonged exposure of a weakened immune system to catch it. However, children should have the BCG inoculation if you are going to live in China for longer than six months. Adults should never receive the BCG as it is ineffective against the strains of TB that they are more susceptible to, and can cause a nasty reaction at the injection site.

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Typhoid fever

Otherwise known as salmonella, typhoid fever is common throughout China and is caught from faecally contaminated food, milk and water. It manifests as fever, headache, cough, malaise and constipation or diarrhoea. Treatment is with quinoline antibiotics, and a vaccine is recommended before you travel.

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Pollution

The air quality in Shànghǎi is dreadful, especially on still days. If you suffer from asthma or other allergies you may anticipate a worsening of your symptoms here and you may need to increase your medication. Eye drops may be a useful addition to your travel kit, and contact-lens wearers may have more discomfort here.

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Water

Don’t drink tap water or eat ice. Bottled water is readily available. Boiled water is OK.

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Clinics

Shànghǎi is credited with the best medical facilities and most advanced medical know­ledge in mainland China. The main foreign embassies keep lists of the English-speaking doctors, dentists and hospitals that accept foreigners.

Huashan Hospital (Huáshān Yīyuàn; 6248 9999, ext 2531; 12 Central Wulumuqi Rd; 12) Hospital treatment and outpatient consultations are available at the 15th-floor foreigners’ clinic (open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, with 24-hour emergency treatment).

Shanghai First People’s Hospital/International Medical Care Centre (IMCC) (Shànghǎi Shì Dìyī Rénmín Yīyuàn; 6306 9480, 6324 0090 ext 2101; 585 Jiulong Rd; 585)

Shanghai United Family Hospital (Shànghǎi Hémùjiā Yīyuàn; 5133 1900, 24hr emergency 5133 1999; www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com; 1139 Xianxia Rd; 1139) The Western-owned and managed United Family Hospital is a complete private hospital, staffed by doctors trained in the West. Medical facilities run to inpatient rooms, operating rooms, an intensive-care unit and birthing suites.

World Link (Ruìxīn Guójì Yīliáo Zhōngxīn) West Nanjing Rd (6279 7688; www.worldlink-shanghai.com; Suite 203, Shanghai Centre, 1376 West Nanjing Rd; 1376203; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat, 9am-3pm Sun); Hongqiao (6405 5788; fax 6405 3587; Unit 30, Mandarine City, 788 Hongxu Rd; 78830; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat, 9am-3pm Sun) Offers comprehensive private medical care from internationally trained physicians and dentists. World Link also provides family and corporate health plans, and Chinese traditional medicine and health-education classes. Consultation fees are around Y600. Members can access after-hours services and an emergency hotline.

Other contacts for medical assistance:

Huadong Hospital (Huádōng Yīyuàn; 6248 3180, ext 63208; 2nd fl, Bldg 3, 221 West Yan’an Rd, Foreigners Clinic; 22132;24hr emergency)

International Peace Maternity Hospital (Guójì Fùyòu Bǎojiànyuàn; 6407 0434; 910 Hengshan Rd; 910)

Ruijin Hospital (Ruìjīn Yīyuàn; 6437 0045; 197 Ruijin No 2 Rd; 197)

Shanghai Chiropractic & Osteopathic Clinic (5213 0008; www.scaoc.com; 9th fl, 937 West Yan’an Rd, cnr Jiangsu Rd; 9379)

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Dental services

Arrail Dental (Ruì’ěr Chǐkē; 5396 6538; www.arrail-dental.com; Unit 204, Lippo Plaza, 222 Central Huaihai Rd)

Dr Harriet Jin’s Dental Surgery (Jīn Yīshēng Kǒuqiāng Zhěnsuǒ; 6448 0882; Room 1904, Huiyin Plaza, 2088 Huashan Rd)

Shanghai Dental Medical Centre (Shànghǎi Kǒuqiāng Yīliáo Zhōngxīn; 6313 3174; 7th fl, 9th People’s Hospital, 639 Zhizaoju Rd; 6397)

Shanghai United Family Hospital (Shànghǎi Hémùjiā Yīyuàn; 5133 1900; www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com; 1139 Xianxia Rd; 1139)

Shenda Dental Clinic (Shēndà Chǐkē; 6437 7987; fax 6466 1798; No 1, Lane 83, Taiyuan Rd; 183)

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Medical testing

Foreigners planning to live in Shànghǎi for six months or more are required to undergo an AIDS test. You can do the test outside China and present the results to obtain the required certificate, but there is a chance that you may still have to take a local test.

For inquiries and medical tests contact the Shanghai Health & Quarantine Bureau (Shànghǎi Guójì Lǚxíng Bǎojiàn Zhōngxīn; 6268 6171; 1701 Hami Rd; 1701; 8.30-11am & 1.30-3pm Mon-Sat). If you need to undertake a test here, try to get an early-morning slot as it gets busy later on. Full medical tests for the purposes of securing a residence permit cost Y700 – you will also need to take along two photos and photocopies of your passport information and visa pages.

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