If you’re heading off to another country, there are many good reasons to consult with a travel medicine specialist well before departure day. Here are the top 10, some of which might surprise you.
- You may not be fully protected against illnesses present in other countries, such as polio and typhoid. Your travel medicine specialist can discuss routine, recommended and required vaccines.
- You’ll get a prescription for the medication that is best suited for you to prevent malaria, a potentially life-threatening disease.
- A travel medicine specialist tells you how to prevent and treat travellers’ diarrhea, a condition that can most certainly ruin your trip.
- You’ll discover whether you are at risk of developing altitude illness, which happens at elevations of 2,500 metres. Consider common destinations: Cuzco, Peru is 3,326 m above sea level. La Paz, Bolivia is 3,660 m.
- There are many diseases for which there are no vaccines, such as dengue fever. Awareness is vital. Travel medicine specialists give you information regarding all health concerns in destination countries.
- Get a thorough understanding of all the preventative measures you can take, including food and beverage precautions.
- You may need documentation for entry into certain countries, such as a certificate of yellow fever vaccination. Your travel medicine specialist will tell you what you need and make sure you have it.
- Find out what’s happening now, not 10 years ago. You’ll get up-to-date information on outbreaks, political unrest and natural disasters.
- You’ll receive a wealth of suggestions for staying safe, including accident prevention tips and embassy contact information.
- When you get home, you know your post-travel follow-up will be with practitioners trained in travel medicine who know you and know where you’ve been.