Staying Healthy While You Travel

If you are planning to travel outside the U.S., the CDC advises that you:

• Prepare a complete travel itinerary. List each destination, length of stay, and types of activities planned.

• Contact your travel agent to get local health information. This should include food and beverage precautions, information about insects and other pests, and the availability of emergency medical care.

• Check with your insurance company to see what coverage your policy provides for travel abroad.

• Consider travel insurance and medical evacuation insurance.  

• Contact your healthcare provider for an up-to-date immunization record. Make an appointment to get needed vaccines at least 6 weeks before you plan to leave.

• Get specific information on preventive health recommendations for your destination. Visit the CDC's Travel Information.

• Identify contact information for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country or countries you will be visiting for help in case of a medical emergency.  

Be sure to also get prescription medicines refilled to last the entire trip. Take extra prescriptions for medicines and eyewear, in case you need to have them filled while abroad or your trip home is delayed. Wear a medical ID bracelet, if needed. Also, take along a first aid kit for minor emergencies.

Eat with care if traveling to a country with an increased risk of traveler's diarrhea. According to the CDC, travelers' diarrhea is the most predictable travel-related illness. Here are some tips to try to prevent it:

• Eat foods that are steaming hot and well-cooked. These are usually the safest.

• Don't eat foods from street vendors, no matter how tasty they look.

• Don't eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products or raw or uncooked seafood.

• Peel fruits yourself.

• Drink commercially bottled water or carbonated beverages.

• Don't use ice.

• Use bottled water when brushing your teeth.

If you are traveling to a country with a risk of malaria, get a prescription for preventive medicine for this disease from your healthcare provider. The medicine needs to be taken before you go on your trip, during your travels, and for a certain number of days after you return, depending on the type of medicine prescribed.

Don't swim or do any water activities in freshwater lakes and streams as you may be exposed to certain diseases. If you are traveling to a country with an increased risk of disease transmitted by mosquitoes, such as malaria or yellow fever, be sure to protect yourself with insect repellents, special clothing, and bed nets.