• Talk to your doctor before making any travel decisions that will take you far from home. Ask if any health conditions you might have makes travel during pregnancy unsafe. Also consider the destination. Is the food and water safe? Will you need immunizations before you go? Is there good medical care available in the event of an emergency? Will your health insurance cover medical care at your destination? Also, avoid traveling to very high altitudes (12,000 feet).
• Bring a copy of your medical record and find out about medical care at your destination so you will be prepared in the event of an emergency.
• Avoid sitting for long periods during car or air travel. Prolonged sitting can affect blood flow in your legs. Take frequent, 10 minute breaks while traveling by car to walk and stretch. Stand up, and move your legs often during air travel. Wearing support pantyhose also can help blood flow.
• If you suspect a problem with your pregnancy during your trip, don’t wait until you come home to see your doctor. Seek medical care right away.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The effectiveness of malaria chemoprophylaxis is variable, depending on patterns of drug resistance and compliance with medication, and no similar preventive measures exist for other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue or chikungunya. For many vector-borne diseases, no specific preventives are available.

The number of insect repellents available has been increasing, with several ac-tive ingredients now registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, for travel to areas where the intensity of disease-transmitting vectors is high, it may be wise to use a product containing DEET or picaridin rather than an herbal product. DEET is the most studied repellent and travelers (military and civilian) have had the most experience with it.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The first step is to consult with one’s health-care provider well in advance of the planned date of departure. Even healthy young adults going to developed areas should be up to date on their routine vaccinations. For example, vaccination practices in other parts of the world vary; travel anywhere outside the United States, including to industrialized regions such as Western Europe, presents a risk for exposure to measles and other vaccine-preventable conditions (2). General recommendations may be found here, but situations can change. Thus, prior to embarking, travelers and their health-care providers should consult sources such as the Travel Notice section of the CDC Travelers’ Health website (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel) for current information on outbreaks or other health-related travel issues. Since 2004, the Travel Notices have been presented in four tiers of increasing magnitude, described below, to assist the traveler in weighing the potential impact of the information. The majority of Notices appear under “In the News” or “Outbreak.” In only one instance, during the outbreak of SARS in 2003, postponement of nonessential travel was recommended.

In The News, the lowest level of notice, will provide information about sporadic cases of disease or an occurrence of a disease of public health significance affecting a traveler or travel destination. The risk for an individual traveler does not differ from the usual risk in that area.

Outbreak Notice provides information about a disease outbreak in a limited geographic area or setting. The risk to travelers is defined and limited, and the notice will remind travelers about standard or enhanced travel recommendations, such as vaccination.

Travel Health Precaution provides specific information about a disease outbreak of greater scope and over a larger geographic area so travelers can take measures to reduce the risk of infection. The precaution also provides guidance to travelers about what to do if they become ill while in the area. CDC does not recommend against travel to a specific area but may recommend limiting exposure to a defined setting, such as poultry farms or health-care settings.

Travel Health Warning recommends against nonessential travel to an area because a disease of public health concern is expanding outside the areas or populations that were initially affected. The purpose of a travel warning is to reduce the volume of traffic to affected areas, thus limiting the risk of spreading the disease to unaffected areas.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention