Vacay Vibes: Easy Tips for a Healthy Escape!

Are you planning a trip to a new and exciting destination? I’m an expert in travel medicine and have also lived overseas from Manila to Mumbai and many countries in between!

I have some suggestions to make your trip memorable without any pesky health issues to bother you along the way. Ideally, you can plan a few months out to make sure you are travel-ready:

Key Recommendations:

• Check recommendations for your destination on the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

• Make an appointment with a travel clinic

• Get vaccinated a few months in advance

• Research any issues with medications you need to bring along

• Consider travel and medevac insurance

Vaccines: The CDC is an excellent resource for finding any travel-related recommendations, including which vaccines are recommended or required for your destination. Make sure to plan! Some travel-related vaccines are a two or three-dose series spaced a few weeks apart. It is important to note that some countries require a yellow fever vaccine for entry into their country or sometimes even transiting their country. And just because you are going to Western Europe doesn’t mean you don’t need additional vaccines. Did you know that tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is endemic in many Western European countries? If you are planning a lot of outdoor activities, you should check if the TBE vaccine is recommended.

Infectious Disease: Make sure and research any mosquito-borne and other infectious diseases found at your destination. Again, CDC is your friend and will let you know which regions and cities require anti-malarial medications and other mosquito-borne precautions to take. If it is recommended to take antimalarials at your destination, be sure to take them. Malaria can be deadly. I’ve had patients get dengue or malaria after only a few days of being in a country with these illnesses, so the amount of time in the country doesn't matter. You should also take DEET mosquito repellant with you and use it.

Medications: Did you know that is illegal to bring some medications into certain countries? For example, some countries ban entering with opioids (e.g. Vicodin) or psychostimulants (e.g. Adderall) and other classes of medications. You can contact the US Embassy at your destination to inquire about a country’s specific laws regarding entering with medications. You should have your prescription bottles with your name and the prescription details clearly written. You should also consider bringing your favorite over-the-counter medications with you, such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough/cold meds, etc. Many other countries don’t carry similar or familiar over-the-counter medications, and you never want to be hunting for those things when you really need them.

Illness while overseas: Oh no! What happens if you become ill or have an accident overseas? If you are an American citizen, you can contact American Citizen Services (ACS) at the nearest U.S. Embassy. On their website, they post a 24-hour number and email. If you are unsure where to go, ACS can recommend where to seek medical care locally. Another good resource is International SOS; they are in certain countries and may provide medical visits or assistance. Your hotel may also recommend reputable medical facilities.

Travel/Medical Evacuation Insurance: I recommend travel/medical evacuation insurance, especially if you have any adventure travel planned. I have personally been involved with very sick or injured patients stuck in a medically austere country with no evacuation insurance, and they are faced with exorbitant expenses to be airlifted to a medically appropriate location.

Travel Clinics: Travel clinics are the best bet for having your travel-related needs met. Most primary or urgent care clinics don’t carry travel-related vaccines such as yellow fever, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and more. I’d recommend researching your destination beforehand and going in ready with questions for your travel clinic provider.

Water and Food: Research to see if the water is potable in the country you will be visiting. Drinking non-potable water can often result in unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms as the water can carry bacteria and parasites. In many countries, it is advisable to be wary of street foods or uncooked foods which may carry pathogens. Don’t bring friends home with you!

Adventure travel: If you are planning any remote hiking, skiing, trekking, climbing, mountaineering etc, it would be wise to travel with a first aid kit, wear a personal locator beacon and always notify a loved one of your whereabouts and when they should expect to hear from you. Accidents can and do happen, even by very skilled outdoor adventurers. Be prepared!

But most importantly, have a fantastic time and send photos!