What health information do you need when you travel, and where’s the best place to find it? We’ve got the answers.
The H1N1 strain of influenza is getting a lot of attention lately, but it’s not the only reason to be concerned about your health before, during and after you travel.
When it comes to travel health, there’s a lot of information to learn and an increasing number of places to get it. Where can you turn for credible and comprehensive information for your trip? Try one of these expert sources:.
General travel health information
Regardless of where you are travelling, there are certain health concerns you’ll want to be aware of including deep vein thrombosis (blood clots), traveller’s diarrhoea, avoiding insect bites and food and water safety. Jet lag, motion sickness and altitude sickness are also common problems.
A good place to start is a broad resource that covers a wide range of topics. You’ll often find what you need faster through a single source rather than wading through internet search results for each topic. You won’t need to read the entire site — instead you’ll be able to browse through all the available information to pick out what’s relevant for you. Here are a few places to start:
- Center for Disease Control (CDC) Yellow Book (Health Information for International Travel)
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Travel Health Information
- UK National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) Travellers website
- World Health Organization (WHO) International travel and health
The CDC and WHO publications can be downloaded in whole or in part and printed for future reference.
Destination-specific information
Whether you’re still researching potential destinations or have already settled on an itinerary, you’ll want to know more about the conditions within a specific country. You might want to consider the following:
Illnesses and other issues: Do you need to watch out for malaria or dengue fever? Typhoid or tuberculosis? Different illnesses affect different parts of the world, or even certain parts of a country. Knowing the risks is the first step to mitigating them.
Immunizations and preventative medications: Which vaccines are recommended and which ones are required? Are anti-malarial medications necessary? The more you know, the better prepared you will be.
Other precautions: Is it safe to drink the water? Are mosquito nets required? Should you avoid fresh seafood or poultry? Many illnesses can be avoided if you know the precautions. Many mosquito or tick-borne illnesses have no vaccination or preventative medication, so you may need to rely on nets, proper clothing and insect repellent instead.
The availability and quality of healthcare: Not all countries have clinics and hospitals equivalent to North American standards, and some may not have essential equipment such as hyperbaric chambers and dialysis machines. If you have certain conditions or special needs, knowing how and where to access medical care could be vital.
The best place to find answers to these questions are country or region-specific web pages, for example:
CDC Travelers’ Health – Destinations
Health Protection Scotland’s Fit For Travel
NaTHNaC Country Information
Travel Health Online (requires registration)
WHO Country webpages
If you’re looking for detailed information on a specific illness in a country, these guides will link to the general resources for more in-depth coverage.
Outbreak information and news
Want to know the latest warnings and alerts? Worried about yellow fever outbreaks? Rift Valley Fever?
If you’re traveling to a country prone to outbreaks (or where there has been a recent outbreak, like Mexico) you may want to subscribe to a news source to keep you informed. Most government and non-governmental websites offer free email updates or RSS feeds for newly available information. In addition, local newspapers and international news sources often report on information from the WHO and the CDC. If you’re booking with a travel agency, ask if they monitor this information and keep their clients updated.
Evaluating other resources
There are countless other travel health-related websites and articles out there on the internet. How can you tell if they are trustworthy and current? Look at the source: Is the website affiliated with or published by government or non-government resources, or known medical associations and institutions? These sources have strict reviewing procedures in addition to their expertise. Many well-researched articles in the media or travel publications cite credible sources, but if they don’t it’s a good idea to verify the information.
Also, look for a publication date or “last updated” note. Health conditions in a country can change with little notice, and breakthroughs can offer new protection. Either way, you’ll want to be armed with the latest information before you set out.
See a doctor
Online websites usually come with a disclaimer: They are meant to be used in conjunction with a visit to a medical professional, not in place of one. You’ll want to discuss any conditions, medications or concerns you have with your doctor, as well as where you plan to travel and what preventative measures you’ll need to take.
Should you go to a travel clinic instead of your family doctor? While your doctor is more familiar with your overall health and medical history, travel clinic doctors specialize in travel medicine and can provide detailed medical assessments based on your itinerary. Immunizations and medications can be administered onsite, and their in-house pharmacies also contain travel-related products.
When is the best time to go? Some immunizations require more than one dose over a period of weeks, so you’ll need to allow for plenty of time. Book an appointment at least six weeks before your trip (or two months, if you’re over the age of 65). A list of clinics by province is available from the Public Health Agency of Canada website.
When you return… Remember, travel health doesn’t end when you return from your trip. Take note of any unusual symptoms you experience after you are back home — especially a fever. Any concerns should be addressed with your doctor, and you should inform any medical professional you visit where you have traveled and when. Some infections may not show up for weeks or even months, so be sure to keep your doctor informed.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 2:25 pm and is filed under ZoomerLife Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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