Safe, healthy travels to Kazakhstan

Start getting immunizations. Some, such as Hepatitis AB, have a series of shots given over 6 months. Don't try to get all your immunizations at one time - you'll be in pain and broke! Check to see what immunizations you should get.

Register yourself with the Kazazkhstan Embassy for when you will be in Kazakhstan(reproduced from the U.S. State Dept. Consular Information Sheet)

Tips for living abroad by US Department of State. This is a really great list of things you should do and what kind of information you should leave with someone back home.

International Travel Warnings

• Can be found at this US Embassy website for all countries, check if Kaz is listed

General

• KazakhAdoptiveFamilies.com has lot and losts of good information about traveling to Kaz

Travel Agency:

• Golden Rule Travel, Eldo Miller (Kaz Adopt specialist), eldo@goldrule.net, (888) 950-3273 (FARE), 6411 W. Morgan Ave., Hutchinson, KS 67501, Fax: (620)665-5425

Check health issues for in Kaz travel:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding Kazakhstan
• MDtravelhealth.com's recommendations for healthy travel to Kazakhstan. Covers recommended immunizations, Other infections, recent outbreaks, Food and water precautions, General advice, Traveling with children, Ambulance, Medical facilities, Pharmacies, including addresses and phone numbers (of course they'll probably only speak Russian)!
• World Health Organization's International travel and health report
• US Embasy's Astana Medical Directory This actually tells you who speaks some english

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance covers a plethora of things, including inconveniences like lost luggage. It also can cover Medivac and medical care, in-case you get seriously ill. You don't want to be stuck in a post-soviet hospital, where you can't communicate in a common language. Remember, healthcare in Kaz will be very different and your health insurance won't cover it. Make sure you ask what the insurance covers!

• Travel Protectors TravelProtectors.com
• Global Health Insurance GlobalHealthInsurance.com
• Med Jet Assistance MedJetAssis.com

Communicate while you are there (without speaking):

• Kwick Point Consumer Translators using universal pictorial images from KwickPoint.com (some have medical things on it)

Figure out how much US $ is compared to Kaz tenge

Amy created a great chart to convert Kaz Tge to US$ that you can print and take with you. Its based upon Feb 2008 values.

In case of emergency while you're there:

• US Embassies Worldwide
• US Embassy in Kazakstan general
• US Embassy regarding Arrest, Death, and Emergency Services
• US Embassy regarding Visas
• US Embasy's Astana Medical Directory This actually tells you who speaks some english
• MDtravelhealth.com's recommendations for healthy travel to Kazakhstan. Covers recommended immunizations, Other infections, recent outbreaks, Food and water precautions, General advice, Traveling with children, Ambulance, Medical facilities, Pharmacies, including addresses and phone numbers (of course they'll probably only speak Russian)!
• World Health Organization's Hospital Care for Children This is a pocket-sized manual for use by doctors, senior nurses and other senior health workers who are responsible for the care of young children at the first referral level in developing countries.
• Emergency Preparedness by USA.gov
• Crisis Preparedness in Kazakhstan by the US Embassy in Kazakhstan