No inoculations are currently required for Peru, but it's a good idea to check with the embassy or a reliable travel agent before you go. Your doctor will probably advise you to have some anyway: typhoid, cholera and yellow fever shots are all sensible precautions, and it's well worth ensuring that your polio and tetanus-diphtheria boosters are still effective. Immunization against hepatitis A is also usually recommended.

Yellow fever still breaks out now and again in some of the jungle areas of Peru; it is frequently obligatory to show an inoculation certificate for yellow fever when entering the Amazon region - if you can't show proof of immunization you'll be jabbed on the spot. Rabies still exists and people do die from it. If you get bitten anywhere in Peru by a dog or vampire bat (only likely in some parts of the Amazon region), you should undergo a series of injections administered to the stomach (available in most Peruvian hospitals) within 24 hours. This is the only cure, unless you have been inoculated in advance with one of the new anti-rabies jabs.

Malaria is quite common in Peru these days, particularly in the Amazon regions to the east of the country. If you intend going into the jungle regions, malaria tablets should be taken - starting a few weeks before you arrive and continuing for some time after. Make sure you get these, or whatever is recommended by your doctor, before leaving home. The prophylactics most commonly recommended against Peruvian malaria tend to be a combination of Paludrin and Cholorquine tablets. Few people who have to spend a lot of time in the rainforest regions use prophylactics, preferring to treat the disease if they contract it, believing that the best prevention is to avoid getting bitten if at all possible, by wearing long sleeves, long trousers, socks, even mostquito-proof net hats, and sleeping under good mosquito netting or well-proofed quarters.

Diarrhoea, dysentery and giardia
Diarrhoea is something everybody gets at some stage, and there's little to be done except drink a lot (but not alcohol) and bide your time. You should also replace salts either by taking oral rehydration salts or by mixing a teaspoon of salt and eight of sugar in a litre of purified water. You can minimize the risk by being sensible about what you eat, and by not drinking tapwater anywhere. This isn't difficult, given the extreme cheapness and universal availability of soft drinks and água mineral, while Brazilians are great believers in herbal teas, which often help alleviate cramps.

Water and food
Water in Peru is better than it used to be, but it can still trouble non-Peruvian (and even Peruvian) stomachs, so it's a good idea to only drink bottled water ( água mineral), available in various sizes, including litre and two-litre bottles from most corner shops or food stores. Stick with known brands, even if they are more expensive, and always check that the seal on the bottle is intact, since refilling with local water is not uncommon. Carbonated water is generally safer as it is more likely to be the genuine stuff. You should also clean your teeth in bottled water and avoid raw foods washed in local water.