Tap water is not drinkable anywhere in Mexico. Antibiotics need a Mexican prescription by law, but the consultation booth beside any pharmacy costs 40 to 80 MXN and will write you one.
- Do not drink the tap water anywhere, Mexico City included. Ice in established restaurants and hotels is made commercially from purified water and is safe - you need not refuse it.
- Antibiotics cannot legally be sold over the counter and need a prescription from a doctor licensed in Mexico.
- Most pharmacies have a doctor next door. The attached consultorio charges 40 to 80 MXN and issues a valid prescription on the spot, which for a minor illness beats a hospital in every way.
- Private hospitals are excellent and require a card deposit or proof of insurance before admission; public IMSS hospitals are overcrowded and not the right choice if you have an alternative.
- Dengue, Zika and chikungunya are present in low-lying tropical areas in the rainy season from June to October, while the high inland cities have essentially no mosquito-borne risk.
Do not drink the tap water, anywhere, including Mexico City. Bottled or purified only. Ice in established restaurants and hotels is made commercially from purified water (hielo purificado) and is safe - you do not need to refuse it.
- No vaccinations are required to enter. Hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria and MMR are recommended.
- Dengue, Zika and chikungunya are present in low-lying tropical areas - Cancun and the coasts - in the rainy season from June to October. Use DEET repellent.
- Altitude protects the big inland cities: Mexico City at 2,240 m and Guadalajara at 1,560 m have essentially no mosquito-borne risk. Mexico City's altitude itself is worth respecting for the first day or two - take it slowly and drink more water than usual.
- Street food is fine if you pick well: a stall with a queue and high turnover, food cooked fresh in front of you.
The pharmacy system is unusually useful
- Chains are everywhere: Farmacias del Ahorro, Farmacias Guadalajara, Farmacias Similares, Farmacias Benavides.
- Antibiotics cannot legally be sold over the counter and need a prescription from a doctor licensed in Mexico.
- Which is easy, because most pharmacies have a doctor next door. The consultorio medico attached to a pharmacy charges 40 to 80 MXN for a consultation and issues a valid prescription on the spot. For a minor illness this beats a hospital in every way.
Hospitals
- Private hospitals are excellent: Centro Medico ABC in Mexico City, Hospital Angeles nationwide, Hospiten in Cancun, all with English-speaking staff. They require a card deposit or proof of insurance before admission.
- Public IMSS hospitals are overcrowded with long waits and are not the right choice for tourist emergencies if you have any alternative.
- Insurance is not required to enter but is strongly advised, because private care is billed at full price.
Bringing medication
Controlled substances are tightly regulated by COFEPRIS - ADHD medicines such as Adderall, strong opioids and psychotropics. Keep them in original packaging with the prescription and a doctor's letter.
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