Assuring a Healthy Trip Abroad
Medical and dental check-ups are a good idea, especially if your program is going to be physically rigorous or if you will be gone more than a few weeks. Get any problems taken care of before you travel, and get any prescriptions you will need written and refilled. A toothache is no fun at home and is even worse when you are nowhere near a dentist you trust! Immunizations. Update your immunization records regardless of where you are traveling. Don’t ruin a trip to the beach by wondering whether that scratch you got on the coral will result in tetanus! Depending on where you are going, you may need to begin medications or injections to prevent malaria, yellow fever, and a host of other diseases not common in the US. Check with the Student Health Center or with your personal physician regarding what you will need. Treatment may take several months, so start early. Check the Center for Disease Control and Prevention web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel |