Just over a month ago, two Zika cases were tied to Thailand. One was in a resident of the country and another was in a traveler who was found to have the disease as he passed through Taiwan. Does this mean a possible repeat of what we have seen in Central and South America could occur in South East Asia?
Many people have turned from glasses to contact lenses for a variety of reasons. However, the extra care contacts require sometimes makes people shy away from wearing contacts while traveling. Or, worse, travelers end up not caring for their contacts correctly while on the trip. Fortunately, you can take your contacts with you on your vacation and enjoy your trip! Just be sure to follow a few key pointers recommended by optometrists and the Centers for Disease Control.
Every year, thousand of people come down with what they often believe to be the stomach flu: gastric distress, fever, headache and other symptoms. More often than not, however, this infection isn’t influenza but rather norovirus, a very contagious virus that is the most common cause of gastroenteritis.
In February of 2015, the Centers for Disease Control alongside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation began research into how to create a vaccine that could protect travelers and the general public from this potentially debilitating disease. As of now, a norovirus vaccine is just a concept, and many important questions still remain including whether humans can develop an immunity to the virus and if immunity to one strain will protect against others.
For now, more research needs to be done, and, unlike Ebola, malaria or dengue fever vaccinations, it is unlikely we will see this vaccination in the immediate future. However, there are many precautions that can be taken in order to avoid contracting norovirus, especially while traveling.
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Dealing with an illness while traveling overseas for work is risky business for travelers. There are many travel risks unique to business travelers. Because of short notice and inherent stress, business travelers are more vulnerable to infection. Unfortunately, travel-related illness is all too common a problem for many executives.
Each year, millions of Americans travel overseas for work-related reasons. As the economy becomes more globalized, corporate travel and health concerns tied to it, will increase. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend a travel health consultation at least 4 to 6 weeks in before traveling.
But, short notice business trips might make a travel health appointment difficult or even impossible. Missed or incomplete vaccines increase the risk of becoming sick abroad. Popular destinations like India and Thailand have endemic diseases not seen in North America. The CDC recommends business travelers be up-to-date for their routine vaccinations including:
Other recommended vaccinations may include:
Another business travel problem is jet lag. Corporate travelers rarely have the time to acclimate. A tired body is more susceptible to disease. Sudden injury or illness in an unfamiliar location can make getting adequate and timely care difficult at best. Especially if you are traveling to an exotic or developing world location.
Corporate travelers are exposed to a host of other travel-related stressors. These include:
There are ways to prevent many travel-related health problems. With the right precautions you can make the most of your time and productivity overseas:
Get a Pre-Travel Health Exam
A pre-travel health exam will ensure that chronic medical conditions you may have are under control. A travel health specialist can also help you receive an adequate supply of medication for your trip. Written copies of your medical and immunization records can also be provided.
Get Vaccinated
Travel immunizations can prevent many serious illnesses, including yellow fever, hepatitis A and B, and typhoid fever. See our vaccinations page to learn more about the vaccines you may need and why they are important.
Pack With Care
Be sure to pack the health, medical and first aid supplies necessary to ensure your good health. This might include:
Visit a travel health specialist, even if it is on the same day you leave. You will rest easy knowing you have taken a huge step in preventing unexpected problems during your trip.
Sources:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/getting-health-care-abroad
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/business/whats-worse-than-getting-sick-getting-sick-while-traveling.html
When individuals consider international travel, one of their major concerns is vaccination requirements, which vary depending upon the destination and planned activities overseas. However, vaccines should be a consideration for domestic travelers as well. Throughout the United States, vaccination requirements actually vary by region because of exemption rules that are applied on a state-by-state basis. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes vaccination policy recommendations on a national level, states are in control of both creating and enforcing vaccine legislation. To better clarify the regional variances, Nursing@Simmons created an interactive map of vaccination exemptions by state to provide a visualization of the national dynamics.
Although they vary among states, vaccination exemptions are provided for medical, religious, and philosophical reasons.
As noted on the map, the majority of states that permit exemptions either include all three types, or religious and medical exemptions only. There are just three states that limit exemptions to those related to medical reasons alone: West Virginia, Mississippi, and California.
The variance in state vaccination requirements creates the potential for increased risk to both individual and community health. According to the CDC, there is evidence that an increased incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) may be associated with higher rates of nonmedical exemptions. In addition, philosophical exemptions often occur in specific geographical pockets—a dynamic that places individuals in those areas at an increased risk for contracting VPDs, like pertussis and measles. Such diseases can represent a significant health risk for anyone who is unvaccinated—especially children and older adults.
In the U.S., VPDs have been officially declared as eradicated—although there are intermittent flare-ups of certain diseases, such as the occurrences of measles in 2014. Often, such transmissions can be linked to international travel—whether it’s someone visiting the U.S. from another country or an unvaccinated U.S. citizen who has contracted a VPD in a region where the disease is still somewhat prevalent.
This makes travel vaccinations even more important, as a single traveler can cause a notable risk to his or her community if there are individuals who are unable or unwilling to undergo routine vaccinations.
Vaccine vigilance when considering domestic travel is just one more reason to gain better insight into state-based exemptions—and how they may impact both your health and that of your family members.
To learn more about routine and travel vaccinations such as the polio, yellow fever and MMR vaccines see our routine vaccination and travel vaccination portals.
