Health, vaccinations and medical care in Mauritius

Getting treated

• Medical facilities are available but standards vary. Public hospitals and clinics provide adequate services.
• Private clinics are more modern and better equipped, cost significantly more, and generally want payment upfront.
• Insurance covering medical evacuation and hospital stays is the thing to have, because a serious case leaves the island.

Mosquito-borne illness

• Chikungunya is a risk, and the joint pain it causes can last months or years.
• Dengue occurs sporadically, and the mosquitoes bite in the daytime, mostly around sunrise and sunset.
• Repellent and covered arms at dawn and dusk are the practical defence; there is no vaccine you can rely on for dengue.

Everyday

• Typhoid is present but low risk for most travellers.
• Check that your policy covers the water sports you plan. Diving and kitesurfing are the usual exclusions, and this is a country people come to for both.