The age-old adage is that if you can’t afford travel insurance then you can’t afford to travel. As Aussie Sarah Lancaster found out, not taking that precaution can be catastrophic.
SEASONED TRAVELLER Sarah Lancaster didn’t think twice about petting the household cat in her Nicaraguan hostel.
I was playing with the cat and it was pawing at me when it suddenly bit my left pointer finger, Sarah explains.
It was like a scratch with a puncture wound. I went back up to my room and sloshed the bite with water and told my friend what had happened. She, being Nicaraguan, told me not to worry.
Despite the nonchalant response of those around her, Sarah became increasingly concerned with the risk of rabies.
I was anxious about it and no one at the hotel could tell me whether the cat had been vaccinated. So, I thought the best thing to do was to contact the Australian health authorities.
According to the World Health Organisation, rabies is practically 100 per cent fatal without pre-exposure vaccination or prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Once exposed, PEP must be administered as soon as possible to prevent the virus from taking hold.
1Cover (Sarah’s travel insurer) wanted me to get the prophylaxis as soon as possible and they looked at places in Nicaragua where I could get the shot.
But when I went to those health providers, they told me it wasn’t necessary, or I could only get it if the bite was really bad.
Within hours it became clear Sarah would need to leave Nicaragua to receive the prophylaxis. A flight back home to Australia was ruled out it as it would have placed her outside the seven-day window for rabies treatment.
After it was determined that she could receive the shots in the USA, Sarah was promptly placed on a plane to Tampa, Florida.
Within hours of her arrival, Sarah received the first of four sets of rabies shots, with the next two a few days apart.
With each shot priced at $US20,000 (approx. $AU30,000), Sarah says her treatment would have been impossible to afford without travel insurance. She received her last set of shots back home in Australia.
I couldn’t believe the price of the shots. I definitely would not have been able to pay out of my own pocket. Knowing that it was covered by my travel insurance put me at ease for sure.
Sarah says that along with the cost of her medical treatment and flights, she found the support of her travel insurer invaluable.
Travel insurance is definitely worth it, not only from the financial side, but also having someone to get advice from. I could talk to the team at 1Cover and just have that emotional support and contact. That was really helpful.
Natalie Smith, spokesperson for 1Cover, says that both the cost and inability to access rabies treatment overseas is not widely known among travellers.
Whether it is the incredibly high price of rabies treatment, or the difficulty in obtaining it, travellers need to be aware of the risks, particular in remote and developing parts of the world, she said.
Talk to your doctor before you go and find out what type of vaccinations may be required as this could save you a huge amount in medical fees.
Take precautions around animals, no matter how cute and friendly. And always pack travel insurance.
From a financial and emotional perspective, this is yet another example of how important it is to have the right cover.
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