Winter Olympics and Paralympics 2026: How to protect your own and your family’s health at the Games

If you are attending the Olympics and/or the Paralympics this year, here are some simple health tips you can follow to protect yourself and your family against infectious diseases. 

Vaccines

• Check the vaccination status for yourself and your children and consult your doctor on whether you or your family are due for any vaccinations as per your country’s national immunisation schedule.
• Measles transmission and outbreaks have been reported globally. Measles is also circulating in Europe, including in Italy. Make sure you and your family have received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to ensure you are protected. If unprotected, consult with your healthcare provider. You should plan to be fully vaccinated against measles at least two weeks before travelling.

Respiratory infections

Respiratory infections are common, especially during winter, and can sometimes be severe, especially for people from at-risk groups, such as the elderly, people with chronic diseases, pregnant women or young children. 

To help protect yourself and others against respiratory infections, you can:

• Get vaccinated against respiratory infections, as per your country’s national immunisation schedule, including for seasonal influenza, COVID-19 or Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV);
• Avoid close contact with sick people;
• Frequently wash your hands with water and soap or clean them with an alcohol-based product;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

If you experience respiratory symptoms, which include cough, fever, and sore throat, you can help protect others through the following steps:

• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing;
• Stay home or in your hotel room if possible;
• Wear a face mask or respirator in crowded settings where physical distancing is not possible.

Food and water safety

Tap water in Italy is safe to drink. 

Contaminated foods may appear, taste or smell normal. Some foodborne illnesses are mild and may resolve within days, while others can be severe or even fatal.

To help protect yourself from gastrointestinal diseases, you can follow these simple rules:

• Ensure the food you eat is thoroughly cooked;
• Always wash fruit and vegetables, or peel them before eating;
• Avoid consuming cooked or perishable food that has been kept at room temperature for more than two hours;
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before preparing food or your family, consuming food or after using the bathroom. Using soap and water is best, but alcohol-based sanitisers can also be used.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

It is important to protect yourself from STIs while having sex. Common STIs in Europe include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis. Other infections, such as HIV, viral hepatitis, and mpox, can also be transmitted during sex. Untreated STIs, viral hepatitis and mpox can lead to serious health issues, while HIV infection requires lifelong treatment. To help protect yourself and others against STIs, you can:

• Use condoms, which are available in Italy in drugstores, pharmacies and supermarkets;
• Discuss recommended measures with your healthcare provider based on your sexual risk assessment. These measures may include pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV and vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and mpox;
• Get tested for STIs if you have had unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners, even if you do not have symptoms.

If you need medical attention

• The Lombardy region has a dedicated website for the 2026 Winter Games, providing information on how to access emergency services, non-urgent medical support, and medication (information in English available).
• EU citizens can access medically necessary, state-provided healthcare through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Learn more about how to use the EHIC in Italy (information available in all EU languages).