Traveling
This Summer? Here Are Tips for Safe and Healthy Travel...
(Updated
July 6, 2004)
Top
Travel Tips |
|
Wash
your hands frequently with with soap
and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, especially
before eating. |
|
Drink only boiled or bottled water or carbonated
drinks from sources you trust. Avoid tap water, fountain
drinks, and ice cubes. |
|
Eat
only fully cooked food or fruits and vegetables
you have peeled. Remember: boil it, cook
it, peel it, or forget it! |
|
If
visiting an area where there is risk for malaria,
take malaria
prevention medication before, during, and after
your trip, as directed. |
|
If
you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or
ticks) use insect repellent (bug spray) with up to
50% DEET. |
|
Know
what to do to prevent
injuries during your trip. |
|
Each year millions of Americans travel abroad for vacation or
to visit friends and family. By the year 2000, approximately 60
million international passengers traveled by air from the United
States annually. Over a third of them traveled to developing countries,
where the risk of contracting infectious diseases and experiencing
an injury is higher. About half of international travelers get
sick or injured (hurt) during their trip. In 2002, 849 cases of
malaria reported to CDC were related to travel overseas. Of the
approximately 400 cases of typhoid fever each year in the U.S.,
70% are related to trips abroad. In 1997, 40% of all preventable
deaths of U.S. citizens abroad were due to injuries.
The good news is that most travel-related sickness and injury
can be prevented. To increase your chances of having an enjoyable
trip free from illness or injury when you travel, follow these
tips:
- Be informed: Learn about travel health and
injury risks and what to do to avoid them before your trip.
- Be ready: Get any vaccinations (shots) or
medicines that you will need for your trip.
- Be smart while you travel: Make sure you follow
travel safety tips while you are on your trip.
1. Be Informed
Four to 6 weeks before your trip find out what you need to know
about staying healthy and safe in the area where you are traveling
by visiting the Travelers'
Health website. Using
the site is simple. Choose the destination (by
region) you are traveling to and you will get information about:
- disease and safety risks and how to avoid them
- special notices about disease outbreaks or other unsafe conditions
- what vaccinations (shots) or preventive medications (prophylaxis)
you should or will be required to get
Important: some countries require you
to show them a certificate that says you have had
a yellow fever vaccination before you can enter. Only registered
healthcare providers can give the yellow fever vaccine.
If you are pregnant
or traveling with children, traveling with pets,
or if you are a traveler
with special needs, do not forget to read the specific advice
CDC has for you.
To be on the safe side, read Health
Hints for the International Traveler before you go. This web page will help you know what to
do if you do get sick or hurt on your trip. On this page you will
also learn how to handle altitude sickness, extreme heat and cold,
and other special situations.
If you are going on a cruise, see our cruise
ship travel recommendations, and cruise
ship inspection scores from the Vessel Sanitation Program.
For health-care providers, textbook-style information is also
available in the CDC publication, Health Information for International
Travel, also known as the “Yellow
Book”. The 2003-2004 edition includes a new chapter on traveling
with children, new text on scuba diving and high-risk travelers,
new recommendations on malaria prophylaxis and yellow fever vaccination,
and expanded text on altitude sickness, to name a few.
Check to make sure your health coverage is up to date. If your
health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States,
remember to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof
of such insurance and a claim form. If your health insurance policy
does not provide coverage outside of the United States, you may
consider purchasing additional coverage. For more information,
see http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/illness-abroad.htm and http://www.travel.state.gov/medical.html.
2. Be Ready
If you will need any vaccinations (shots) or medicines, go to
your healthcare provider or a travel
medicine clinic 4 to 6
weeks before your trip. This will give your shots time to work
so that you will be protected during your trip. If it is less than
four weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor.
It might not be too late to get your shots or medications.
Prepare a traveler's
health kit so you have all the medications and supplies
you may need before you go.
3. Be Smart While You
Travel
- Wash your hands often and well with soap and water or
an alcohol-based hand rub to help kill germs, especially before
eating!
If you are
going on a cruise, read
this fact sheet about handwashing,
too. (in Adobe PDF format)
- Drink only boiled or bottled water or soft
drinks from sources you trust. Do not drink
tap water, fountain drinks, or eat ice cubes.
- Only eat food that has been cooked all the way through or
fruits and vegetables that have been washed and peeled. Remember: boil
it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
- If visiting an area where you might get malaria,
make sure to take your malaria
prevention medication before, during, and after your trip,
as directed.
- If you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or ticks)
use insect repellent (bug spray) with up to 50% DEET.
The label on the container will tell you the DEET content.
- Protect yourself from motor vehicle injuries: avoid drinking
and driving; wear your safety belt and place children in age-appropriate
restraints in the back seat; follow the local customs and laws
regarding pedestrian safety and vehicle speed; obey the rules
of the road; and use helmets on bikes, motorcycles, and motor
bikes. Avoid boarding an overloaded bus or mini-bus. Where possible,
hire a local driver.
Follow the tips and recommendations your healthcare provider and
the CDC Travelers' Health site offer, and you are more likely
to remain healthy and safe, so
you can enjoy your time away from home.
Happy traveling!
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