With the acceleration of economic globalization, the number of outbound labor service personnel in China is increasing year by year. According to public data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2024, Chinese enterprises sent a total of 409,000 laborers of various types overseas, an increase of 62,000 over 2023. Outbound labor service personnel mainly include seafarers, cooks, waiters, engineers, construction workers, medical staff and foreign trade workers.
Outbound laborers have unique working and living conditions that make them susceptible to various infectious diseases. They represent a significant high-risk group for epidemic prevention that must not be ignored. Currently, both new and existing infectious diseases are emerging globally at a continuous pace. The heightened international movement of people may lead to widespread outbreaks of these diseases. Conducting infectious disease surveillance, health check-ups, statutory vaccinations, and providing international travel health consultations for personnel working abroad effectively safeguards their health and safety, while also helping to prevent the transnational spread of infectious diseases.
I. Legal Basis
According to the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementation rules, Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Aliens and Circular on Submission of Health Certificate by Chinese Citizens when Entering or Leaving China, etc., laborers shall receive infectious disease monitoring physical examination and vaccination at the international travel health care center of the customs before going abroad, and apply for International Certificate of Health Examination for Travellers and International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis.
II. Content of Physical Examination
The medical examination items of the International Certificate of Health Examination for Travellers include routine clinical and laboratory tests. Clinical medical examination items include internal medicine and surgery, ENT, chest X-ray examination, electrocardiogram, B-scan ultrasonography, etc. Laboratory test items include HIV antibody, serological test for syphilis, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, alanine aminotransferase, blood routine, urine routine, etc.
In order to ensure the accuracy of physical examination results, it is recommended that outbound labor service personnel shall not drink alcohol two days before the physical examination and shall not eat or drink after eight o'clock in the evening one day before the physical examination.
III. Vaccination
In order to prevent infection of infectious diseases abroad, outbound laborers shall understand the epidemic situation of the country and region they are heading for, be vaccinated with relevant vaccines 4-6 weeks before leaving China, and take relevant protection measures. Outbound labor service personnel can consult the relevant requirements of the destination country (or region) on physical examination and vaccination at the customs international travel health care center, especially the epidemic situation of infectious diseases in the destination country (or region) and the preventive measures to be taken.
For example, workers going to yellow fever endemic countries are required to be vaccinated against yellow fever. Workers going to Africa or Southeast Asia should avoid local mosquito bites. Workers going to some countries in Africa and Asia and Latin America should pay attention to food hygiene.
Yellow fever vaccination is the only legal vaccination program for outbound labor service personnel at present. Yellow fever is a legally quarantinable infectious disease with clinical manifestations of high fever, chills, headache, hemorrhage and damage to multiple organs throughout the body. There is no specific treatment for this disease, and vaccination is the key to prevention.
IV. Free Scope
From April 1, 2017, Chinese citizens who have been approved to leave the country for labor services for more than 1 year can receive free infectious disease monitoring physical examination for the items listed in the International Certificate of Health Examination for Travellers by presenting documents such as passports, work visas and certificates issued by labor service companies. Items additionally required by other countries are not free of charge.
The yellow fever vaccination certificate is the only international travel vaccination certificate required by WHO. Outbound labor service personnel can be vaccinated with yellow fever vaccine free of charge at customs with visas and air tickets to infected areas or regions announced by the WHO, and apply for "International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis". The yellow fever vaccine becomes effective 10 days after vaccination and remains valid for 10 years.
Outbound labor service personnel shall carry valid identity documents when undergoing physical examination and vaccination at the international travel health care center of the customs.
V. Health Consultation
International travel health consultation is an important means to prevent diseases related to outbound labors, but the awareness of such consultation before outbound labors leave China is relatively weak. It is recommended that outbound labor service personnel should go to the international travel health care center of the customs for health consultation 6 weeks before leaving China, and learn about the relevant requirements of the destination country or region in advance, so as to have enough time for infectious disease monitoring physical examination and vaccination to ensure the integrity of physical examination items and vaccination items.
After returning to China, the outbound labor service personnel shall receive health examination in time, which is beneficial both to themselves and their families. According to the characteristics of recent seasons, outbound laborers shall focus on mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as respiratory infectious diseases, malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, noroviruses, and gastrointestinal infectious diseases such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, and shall be vaccinated at the international travel health care center of the customs before going abroad.
(Author Affiliation: Xiamen Customs)
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China Inspection and Quarantine Times. The China Inspection and Quarantine Times version shall prevail.