TRAVEL HEALTH
Travel Smart and Stay Healthy
Take these steps for a safe holiday
By Mark Stachiew
There are plenty of souvenirs you can bring back from sunny places like the Caribbean, Mexico or destinations further afield, but tropical diseases shouldn’t be among them. Fortunately, a few smart steps taken before and during your trip can reduce your chances of getting sick, so your vacation stays fun and carefree.
Alexandre Mihaila, a Toronto-based pharmacist, says people will spend months planning every detail of their vacation. They’ll compare flights, book the perfect hotel, reserve restaurants, and build a detailed itinerary, but will spend almost no time thinking about their health. “A lot of people assume that because a destination is popular, it must be safe or they think staying at a nice resort somehow protects them from local diseases. Unfortunately, neither of those assumptions are true,” he says, and adds, “Travel medicine isn’t about scaring people out of travelling. It’s about helping them avoid preventable issues so they can really enjoy the trip they planned.”
Beware the Revenge
When people think of travel diseases, they often worry about serious ones like malaria, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. But the most common issue travellers face is actually plain old traveller’s diarrhea. It’s usually just an unpleasant inconvenience treatable with over-the-counter medication like Immodium and electrolytes. But sometimes it can escalate and require medical attention.
“Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s harmless, but it’s the number one reason people lose valuable vacation time,” notes Mihaila who explains that dehydration can become serious, especially for young children, older adults, and people with chronic medical conditions.
A healthcare professional may also recommend oral vaccines for cholera and LT-ETEC to help reduce your risk of diarrhea that can potentially ruin your trip.
“It’s important to understand what this vaccine does and doesn’t do,” says Mihaila and adds, “They can reduce the risk of that specific type of traveller’s diarrhea, particularly more severe episodes, but they do not protect against every cause of diarrhea, and it never replaces safe food and water practices.”
Mihaila advises seeing a physician, pharmacist or a travel health clinic four to six weeks before departure.
Mosquitoes: Small, But Mighty
It’s not just diarrhea that travellers must protect themselves against.
The World Health Organization and other global health experts report that climate change is significantly impacting mosquito-borne diseases by creating more favourable conditions for both the mosquitoes and the viruses they carry. As a result, illnesses like chikungunya, known for causing debilitating joint pain and high fever, are now appearing in regions where they were not previously found.
The mosquitoes responsible for spreading chikungunya, as well as other illnesses such as dengue fever and ZIKA, are also expanding their range beyond traditionally affected areas. For example, locally-acquired cases of chikungunya have been reported in France.
With seven million Canadians travelling last year to countries where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic, Mihaila believes it’s important for them to be informed of the risks and to take steps to avoid diseases like malaria, Yellow Fever, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and others.
The most basic precaution is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Ideally, this could be accomplished by wearing long pants and clothing with long sleeves, but that’s not always practical in warm climates. Mihaila recommends wearing light-colored clothing and liberally applying Health Canada-approved insect repellents containing either 30% DEET or 20% icaridin. He reminds travellers that it’s important to reapply repellent as directed, especially when spending extended time outdoors.
Don’t Skip the Shots
Smart travellers insure their trips—why not insure your health?
Health Canada has approved vaccines for yellow fever, typhoid, LT-producing ETEC diarrhea, cholera, and Japanese encephalitis. A vaccine to prevent chikungunya is also available to protect against this life-altering disease. Travel clinics and pharmacies like Mihalia’s tailor vaccine recommendations to each traveler based on their destination, trip length, planned activities and itinerary.
While these vaccines aren’t covered by provincial health care, some private insurers may reimburse the cost.
Travel Planner
To find a travel clinic or vaccinating pharmacy nearest you, visit vaccines411.ca/en
