Health, vaccinations and medical care in Jordan

Medical care

• Amman's private hospitals are among the best in the region and treat patients from across the Middle East. Care is prompt and good.
• You pay up front and claim back, so insurance matters. Bring the policy number.
• Public hospitals are adequate and busy; outside Amman, facilities in the governorates are basic.
• Pharmacies are everywhere and pharmacists speak English, and much of what needs a prescription at home does not here.

Water and food

• Tap water is chlorinated and generally safe in Amman, but almost nobody drinks it and neither should you on a short trip. Bottled water is cheap.
• Refill from big bottles rather than buying small ones, which is what the camps do.
• Food hygiene is good. Street shawarma and falafel from a busy place is fine and is the best food in the country.
• Stomach upsets are usually the change of diet, not contamination. Bring rehydration salts.

Heat and the Dead Sea

• Summer heat is serious. Petra in July is 38 to 42 °C with no shade in the middle of the day; walk early, rest at noon.
• Drink more than you want to and take salt. Heat exhaustion at Petra is a routine call-out.
• The Dead Sea is 430 m below sea level and the hottest place in the country.
• Do not shave the day you go in. The salt in a fresh cut is memorable for the wrong reason.
• Do not put your face in the water or dive. Salt in the eyes is a medical event, and swallowing it is dangerous.
• 20 minutes is enough, then shower properly.

Before you go

• Nothing exotic is required. Hepatitis A and typhoid are the usual recommendations; check tetanus is current.
• Travel insurance that covers desert activities and diving is worth reading closely if you are going to Wadi Rum or Aqaba.
• Aqaba has a decompression chamber, which is one reason its dive industry has a good record.
• Bring your own supply of any prescription medicine, with the prescription, because brand names differ.