Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a travelers’ clinic visit anytime you travel internationally? This is especially important if you have an existing medical condition, need travel vaccines or are visiting a developing country.
Tania Thomas, MD, who sees patients at the UVA Travelers’ Clinic, likes to see patients four to six weeks before their trip. She says every trip is unique, and your reasons for traveling and agenda influence what doctors advise.
“Our job is to really to combine our knowledge of the epidemiology and preventable conditions with the traveler’s itinerary and their own medical conditions that they bring and other kind of personal risk profiles,” she says. “So, we use all of this information, and we cater advice to prevent injury and illness while traveling.”
At the visit, you’ll get:
- Any necessary vaccines
- Information on preventing travel-related illnesses, including the dreaded traveler’s diarrhea
Need Travel Vaccines?
Make an appointment at the UVA Travelers’ Clinic, part of Infectious Disease Clinic.
In this week’s podcast, Thomas goes into detail about vaccines, what to pack and how you can protect your health when abroad.
Listen to the podcast:
My wife and I plan to travel to Europe in late May through mid-June. The countries we will be visiting are Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland, and possibly Austria and Denmark. Do we need to make an appointment to find out if we need any vaccinations for this travel?
The CDC travelers’ website can tell you which vaccinations it generally recommends for those countries. You are also welcome to contact our Traveler’s Clinic at 434.982.1700 with your questions or for an appointment.
I am planning a Russian river cruise in August from St. Petersburg to Moscow. I am wondering what concerns I should have (if any) regarding the corona virus. Should I delay making reservations to see how things play out?
Candy, we shared your question with Dr. Thomas. She advised that the CDC’s info for travelers is a good place to start. You should also consider whether you have any health concerns currently. Things are changing day by day with coronavirus and its spread, so if it’s possible to delay making reservations, that might be your best bet.
we are doing a transatlantic cruise in April (4/20 to 5/4) and returning by air from London. We are 80 and 87 and in good health. What precautions should we take if any. We have plans to do excursions in the Azores, Lisbon and Bruge.
Here’s some helpful travel information from the CDC, including a map where you can look at travel advisories by country.