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The summer months mark festival season both in the UK and abroad. Festivals, parades and other gatherings offer a "fun escape" from everyday routines; however, they can also bring with them some potential health risks.
All travellers planning to attend a festival or similar large event this year should be reminded how to stay safe and protect themselves against common health risks:
In addition, travellers attending events with large gatherings of people should be made aware of the increased risk of transmission of diseases such as measles and mpox.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes leads to serious complications. Measles can spread easily between crowds of people attending mass gatherings, such as festivals. Large measles outbreaks continue to be reported globally; latest case summaries and rates of infection are available:
All travellers who have not previously received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or did not have a reliable history of past infection, should be offered Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccination to ensure that 2 doses of MMR vaccine, administered at least one month apart, have been received.
Since 2022 cases of mpox have been reported in countries where the disease is not endemic, including the UK, Europe and some non-European countries.
Mpox has not gone away and there could be an increase in cases this summer as more people start to travel and attend events and festivals in the UK or abroad. For latest information on case summaries and rates of infection, see:
Travellers can reduce their risk of exposure to mpox by:
A vaccine designed for smallpox (Modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine) is being offered to people who are most likely to be exposed to mpox.
All travellers whose sexual networks mean they are more likely to come into contact with mpox are advised to ensure they have received two doses of smallpox vaccine (if eligible) to provide long term protection. Further information about the mpox vaccine and eligibility is available for those living in:
In addition to the advice above, all travellers attending festivals and other large gatherings abroad should be advised to consider the following measures to reduce their risk of becoming unwell during travel:
After returning home from summer festivals, all travellers should be aware of the need to:
