15 Guidelines for
International Travel

1. Always seek pretravel advice from your physician or nurse before planning an international trip. Ideally, this should be done 4 weeks prior to travel since a few rare vaccinations must be timed appropriately and administered as multiple injections.

2. Diabetics have special travel issues. A "Traveling with Diabetes" section is to be added to this site.

3. If you are engaging in marine activities (diving, snorkeling, swimming, etc.) please refer to the "Marine Safety" section to be added to this site.

4. If you are traveling to high altitudes your physician will need to evaluate your medical history. Please refer to the "Altitude Sickness" section to be added to this site.

5. Do not swim, bathe or wade in freshwater streams, rivers or lakes, or walk barefoot in areas endemic for schistosomiasis. If you are traveling to such areas, refer to the "Schistosomiasis" section to be added to this site.

6. Sexually transmitted diseases, including hepatitis B and AIDS, are abundant in many places! Abstinence is the only sure protection, but risk may be reduced by avoiding high-risk sex and exposure to potentially contaminated body fluids. Latex condoms, purchased outside the United States, may be unreliable. Please refer to the "Sexually Transmitted Diseases" section to be added to this site.

7. If malaria chemoprophylaxis is prescribed, always take your medication as your physician instructs. Refer to the Malaria section.

8. Take personal precautions against insects during travel. Many insect-transmitted diseases are not preventable by vaccines or drugs. Refer to the Insect Protection Measures section.

9. Be prepared to purify your own supply of drinking water if bottled or boiled drinks are not readily available. Refer to the Water Safety section.

10. Take appropriate dietary precautions. Refer to the Food Safety section.

11. Do not walk barefoot outdoors, except at poolside or the beach.

12. Protect yourself from accidental injury because accidents are the leading cause of hospitalization and death among travelers. Refer to the Accidents section.

13. Assemble a traveler's medical kit appropriate for your destination, length of trip and general health conditions. See recommendations for medical kit contents.

14. Consult your physician or nurse early in the trip's planning process regarding your possible need to update your childhood vaccines, i.e., measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus-diphtheria, etc.

15. Some diseases may not manifest themselves immediately. If you become ill after you return home, see your physician.