Why and when should you avoid travel?

If you are sick with flu-like symptoms then it is highly recommended by physicians that you avoid travel and plan a schedule that will give you enough time to be rid of the flu before going on a trip. Physicians urge people to stay home if he or she is sick until at least twenty four hours after you no longer show a fever of 100 degrees or above.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

According to physicians, the most common types of flu symptoms include fever, chronic coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. It is also not uncommon for diarrhea and vomiting to occur and a lot of flu patients. If you show any signs of these health concerns, then you should see a physician immediately before traveling.

What should you know about health screenings at airports?

The H1N1 virus, the cause of swine flu, has become a major health concern. As a result, airports have begun hiring physicians to screen the health of arriving passengers for strands of the virus. Traveling passengers from the United States arriving in other countries may have their health checked, including symptoms of H1N1 flu. You should expect your travel to be delayed if your health is screened.

If you are traveling abroad from the United States, there are a few concerns you should address. Screens in other countries may ask you to:
• Pass through a device that checks your temperature.
• Have your temperature taken via oral or ear thermometer
• Fill out a questionnaire that asks about your health history
• Review what health symptoms are included with swine flu
• Provide contact information
• Be quarantined for an unspecified amount of time if you or anyone else is found to have the H1N1 virus

If you are suspecting in having the H1N1 virus, you may be asked to:
• Be isolated until your health is cleared by a physician and deemed safe
• Receive a health examination from a physician
• Take a rapid flu test from a trained physician
• Be hospitalized if you are tested positive for the virus until your health is cleared by a physician

Please keep in mind that all of these health procedures are done by physicians to ensure the safety of public health and the prevention of the spread of swine flu.

How should you prepare?

You should be aware of all outbreak information in the country you are traveling to. Most cases of the H1N1 virus were reported from the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

You should also think about getting vaccinated. Information about immunization can be found at the website www.flu.gov.

Remember that packing a travel health kit would be beneficial as it contains basic first aid and medical supplies you may need. You should also consider purchasing travel insurance.

Swine flu

The H1N1 flu, or better known as swine flu, is a recent health concern that came to light in April of 2009. The virus that causes swine flu originates from pigs. The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to the ordinary seasonal flu, although the immunization of it at medical clinics differs and must be vaccinated separately from seasonal flu.

Recently, the United States government quickly funded development for a vaccine that is effective in preventing swine flu. It is aimed at people who are most susceptible to contracting swine flu and people who are most likely to be in danger of dying from the disease. These people should seriously consider going to a medical clinic for immunization right away.

Why should you go to a medical clinic for immunization against swine flu?

Vaccination at a medical clinic is the best protection against contracting the flu. There are many different medical clinics set up across the United States that provide immunization, although it must be noted that the H1N1 vaccine is in very short supply. Even if there is a medical clinic that is close to where you live, you may have trouble receiving immunization, especially in highly dense areas.

What are the priority groups of people for immunization who have the highest risk?

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a panel made up of medical clinic experts and health experts. The committee has selected several groups that should consider immunization of the H1N1 virus.

Pregnant women: Complications can arise during pregnancy if the mother contracts the H1N1 virus. Also, women who are recently pregnant could benefit from immunization at a medical clinic to help protect their infant child, who cannot be vaccinated.

Household contacts and caregivers: Similar to the reasons above, people who regularly come in contact with small children, especially those six months of age and younger should receive immunization at a medical clinic. It could be very dangerous for children to contract the H1N1 virus.

All people from six months through twenty four years of age: Children pass sickness very quickly to each other when they come in contact with each other at school. If you child is between six months and eighteen years of age, immunization at a medical clinic is highly recommended. Adults who are nineteen through twenty four should also consider visiting a medical clinic.

Persons aged twenty five to sixty four: Only those that meet this age range who have medical conditions that could cause H1N1 to worsen.

What is the difference between the H1N1 vaccine and the regular seasonal flu vaccine?

The 2009 H1N1 vaccine has the same safety profile as seasonal flu vaccines and these vaccines have always had a long history of safety. Over the years, hundreds of millions of people have visited medical clinics to receive immunization of the flu.

What are some of the side effects of receiving the vaccine?

Medical experts believe that any side effects of receiving immunization are very rare. There may be mild reactions, such as soreness, redness, and swelling in the location that the shot is given; fainting; headache; muscle aches; fever; and nausea. These mild side effects can last about one to two days. Severe side effects, although extremely rare, may occur, such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, swelling around the eyes, hives, paleness, weakness, fast heart beat, dizziness, behavior changes, and high fever. These reaction may occur hours after receiving the vaccination.

1. Bring useful health resources with you:

An extensive wilderness first aid book could be extremely useful when an illness or injury and medical questions arise. If you have any questions or concerns, try consulting the book. It should give advice on how to treat it immediately, the severity of the situation, and if seeing a doctor is necessary.

2. Join a traveler health organization:

There are several options when choosing an informational non-profit organization to join to answer your medical questions. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers is one option to join before setting out on your trip. This organization will provide you a list of doctors worldwide who will gladly assist you with answers to your health concerns twenty four hours a day.

3. Take into account any health conditions you may have or you may encounter:

Medical questions arising in a situation when you are far from home can be a scary situation. If you have any health conditions for which you take medicine for, refill any and all prescriptions and make sure that it will be enough depending on how long you will be away from home. Do not forget instructions and precautions for taking the medicine; if you have medical questions pertaining to the medication, you should be prepared with information that will answer them.

If could also be especially useful to go to an allergy doctor to answer all your medical questions on what you may or may not be allergic to. Encountering new parts of the world could expose you to new elements that could have an effect on your health. Once you find out with you could pose a risk to you, you can then take steps to avoid them.

4. Take out health insurance:

Health insurance is important to have when traveling, especially for long periods of time. Remember that traveler’s health insurance plans will allow evacuation to western medical facilities in case an emergency occurs. Health insurance brokers will answer all your travel medical questions and can make the process of signing up for the insurance much easier and stress-free. Your medical questions could also be answered by trained physicians over the phone if it does not pose too serious of a threat.

5. You may want to consider talking to a travel medicine specialist:

Specialists will answer medical questions and health concerns that can arise related to traveling.

6. Gather local information about the place you are traveling to:

Make a list of medical questions you may have and make sure you have them answered for you. Like will all aspects of traveling, answering your health questions by conducting extensive research will prepare you for your trip. Do not overlook health information such as doctors, police stations, medical facilities, and military bases to be ready for an emergency.

1. Consider your options:

Doctors interested in a working on international waters can choose from a variety of places and tenures. There are short-term opportunities, such as filling in for a permanent doctor during a leave of absence and long-term assignments. These types of long term assignments can be beneficial for doctors looking to work on cruise ships, freighters, and charter yachts. Keep in mind that different job assignments for physicians can be selected for each, so there is always a variety of opportunities to choose from.

2. Does your training, knowledge, and expertise coincide with the skills necessary to become a doctor in international waters?

The cruise industry seeks doctors with proper licenses, who are experienced in a diverse amount of medicine and emergency practices. The doctor should have an outstanding record in either emergency medicine or general practice. It is recommended that he or she has at least three years of field experience as well. A doctor should keep in mind that the more diverse his or her training and knowledge is, the better chance that he or she will be hired.

3. Extra training required:

When doctors are seriously perusing a job in international waters, they must know that extra training will be required. Candidates should receive training in advanced life support (ALS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), advanced trauma life support (ATLS) and/or pediatric advanced life support (PALS). These different types of techniques are learned by the doctor to help better monitor patient’s heart patterns, resuscitate patients, and treat serious injuries. These advanced certifications will ensure that a doctor candidate is seriously taken into consideration.

4. Language is key:

Outstanding communication skills go a long way for anyone looking to succeed as a doctor in international waters. In this business, knowing how to communicate effectively and concisely in more than one language goes even further. You will deal with crew members and passengers that come from all walks of life. In order to succeed as a ship’s doctor, you will need to be able to communicate with people from different national origins, especially in critical situations.

5. Technology skills are important:

Doctors in the middle of the ocean use advanced satellite technology to transfer data half around the world for diagnosis. Being able to use these tools properly and effectively will increase the likelihood of you achieving your goal.

6. Make sure you have a love for travel:

Remember that when you are not treating sick patients, you are enjoying visiting other parts of the world. Make sure that you can handle being away from home large intervals at a time. Remember that a love for traveling is required to get the most out of being an international doctor.

1. What types of diseases to look out for:

A large portion of travelers visiting a country with lower standards of sanitation will experience common sicknesses such as traveler’s diarrhea, caused by E. coli bacteria. E. coli infects 20 to 45 percent of international travelers.

On the other end of the spectrum, international travelers can be exposed to life-threatening diseases such as yellow fever or malaria if they are not careful. Both of these diseases are transmitted when infected mosquitoes feed on someone. These life-threatening diseases and more can be prevented through immunizations at a local clinic.

2. What are vaccines?

A vaccine aids in the immunization of many different kinds of diseases. A different vaccine is needed for every preventable disease. Vaccines contain virus particles that are dead or have become deactivated. These particles stimulate a person’s immune system and a person’s white blood cells begin to produce antibodies that would normally begin to fight off a live infection. The virus particles are destroyed, and the antibodies “remember” the disease so that when a live virus does infect someone, his or her immune system will react quickly and efficiently to stop the virus.

3. The three types of vaccines:

In immunization, there are three different levels of vaccines:

Routine vaccines are given at clinics or pediatricians regularly to both children and adults that protect against diphtheria and tetanus. These two diseases can be contracted in many countries including the United States.

Recommended vaccines are simply just that–recommended. They are administered at clinics for immunization if you are traveling to a certain part of the world or if you choose to receive immunization from a relatively simple disease such as the flu. Another example of a recommended vaccine is typhoid.

Required vaccines are a necessity when traveling to a certain part of the world. There are currently only one required vaccines when traveling to certain African or South American countries– for the immunization of yellow fever. Saudi Arabia in a similar fashion requires a meningococcal vaccine for travelers visiting during Hajj.

4. How to find out more information:

The Centers for Disease Control website can provide you with valuable information before you decide to travel to another country. You can find out what diseases to look out for based on what country you are looking to travel to. Your doctor can explain to you what vaccines you should need as well. A traveling clinic would also be ideal. Clinics will give you proper information for immunization and will administer vaccines. After you receive the vaccine, the clinic will give you a certification to prove that you have been vaccinated.

5. Timing is everything:

Keep in mind that certain vaccinations given at clinics can take several weeks to be effective. Make sure that you plan accordingly and receive your immunization at a clinic well in advance of your traveling arrangements. Some vaccines require “booster” shots to maintain full efficiency of a vaccine. It is important to visit a clinic and receive a booster shot to ensure proper protection from diseases.

A “medical traveler” must use caution when choosing the doctor and hospital to receive health care. While it is true that every day there are more and more highly certified doctors overseas, someone wishing to receive proper health care overseas should be safe rather than sorry. Doing proper research to select a doctor will go a long way in giving the patient comfort and peace of mind.

1. JCI Accredited Hospitals

“JCI” stands for Joint Commission International. JCI has been working with health care organizations, ministries of health, and global organizations in over 80 countries since 1994. JCI’s purpose is to provide the best possible health care options for patients by having the highest standards in certification of doctors. The JCI is in a joint partnership with the World Health Organization. JCI international hospitals have been quality tested and approved and only hospitals with this certification should be considered in your search.

2. Consult with a healthcare agent

Healthcare facilitators are very useful to provide for you an easy solution in selecting a proper hospital and doctor. They cover all logistics for medical tourism, including rides to pick you up from the airport to the hospital, to arranging your travel details. If you do not feel like arranging your traveling schedule yourself and monetary needs, consider talking to a healthcare facilitator. Of course, if you feel comfortable enough, and have proper knowledge of hospitals and doctors, you can choose every aspect yourself.

3. Choosing a doctor

Make sure you use proper extensive research when choosing a doctor. Study what a doctor’s credentials, specialties, and experiences are. You may want to consider going a step further and arranging a telephone conference with the doctor to find out more about him or her. Locate other patience who have already been treated by the doctor and interview them to see if the doctor satisfied their needs with proper care. Nowadays, many hospitals use the internet to their advantage to report news and other information across social media websites such as Face book, Twitter, and WebMD. Take a look at those websites and see what you can come across.

4. Exercising caution

Make sure you talk to an expert, such as someone who is knowledgeable about international hospitals. You can receive valuable information about hospital standards and diseases that are widespread in a certain country you are considering traveling to. Find out the quality of the nursing and the benchmarks of patient safety. Also keep in mind the differences of hospital regulations because of height and weight differences that may vary from country to country.

5. Always have a contingency plan

Remember that even when you choose a doctor that you feel is right for you, upon a physical examination, he or she may feel that you are not fit for surgeory and will turn you down. Keep this in mind that this is not uncommon.

1. The difference between international health insurance and local health insurance:

International health insurance has many advantages. If you make a claim; your premiums will not go up, you are insured based on your age, but rather a medical evaluation will take place; you will be sent home or to a hospital if you do encounter a serious medical problem; and your policy will be renewable for the rest of your life rather than having to renegotiate another health insurance plan.

2. Selecting a health insurance plan:

Typically, international plans last you for the rest of your life, so it would be in your best interest to select the health insurance plan that fits you after extensive research. Certain factors that you should consider are cost, performance, quality of service, and coverage. It is also highly recommended that you talk to an insurance broker specializing in international insurance. An insurance broker is especially useful to have in case you have problems with your insurance plan and you need to switch companies.

3. What are your coverage needs?

When selecting a health insurance plan, it is important to keep in mind how long you plan to be outside of the United States. Certain help insurance plans use worldwide coverage, but some cheaper plans will exclude the United States and other parts of North America. Depending on how long your time is outside of the United States, you should consider receiving worldwide hospital coverage, regardless that it is more expensive.

4. Choosing an insurance plan:

Like all health insurance plans, international insurance has different packages that you may choose from along with other supplemental policies. Obviously, the more coverage benefits you choose from, the higher the price will be. You can usually customize your plan with additional options such as dental coverage. Remember that the options you choose will have an effect on your premium balance.

5. Choosing a deductible:

Health insurance companies pay for most of the hospital and medical expenses, but before they agree to this, you must pay a deductible or a co-payment. Take a look at their deductible percentages and consider this a major factor before you choose a company.

6. Disclosing information about your medical history:

Health insurance companies need full disclosure of your preexisting medical conditions, hospital visits, and other history before it makes a decision to approve your plan. If you have a preexisting medical condition, or if you have been treated for a serious injury at a hospital, depending on what it is, an insurance company will either exclude it from coverage or put you on a probationary period before it is approved for coverage.

7. Family health insurance plans:

Family health plans are usually available from health insurance companies. You can cover your whole family and the packages depend on the ages of each member. Remember that full disclosure about preexisting conditions and hospital visits are necessary for each family member as well.

8. Renewal:

There are usually yearly renewal dates and your broker or insurance company will contact you if you would like to cancel, continue, or alter your plan.

1. What are some of the world’s biggest and most influential NGOs?
a. Medicines Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders):
An organization that believes that all people who are injured or sick deserve to be treated by doctors with the best health care possible, regardless of race, creed, religion, or political affiliation and the needs of these people outweigh the respects of national borders.

b. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC):
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ICRC is a private humanitarian institution that protects the victims of international and internal armed conflicts and assists them with health care by trained doctors.

c. International Medical Corps (IMC):
A global humanitarian nonprofit organization established by volunteer doctors and nurses. The purpose of the IMC is to provide health care to poor regions and trains local health care workers with the goal of creating self-reliant medical services in places that are underprivileged.

d. Oxfam:
The goal of Oxfam is to find solutions to poverty and injustice by setting up donations for clothing and food.

e. Partners in Health (PIH):
A Boston-based health care organization providing a “preferential option for the poor”. The PIH provides proper health care from doctors to the poor by maintaining strong relationships with sister companies.

f. Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere):
An international health care organization founded in the United States in 1958. Project HOPE created the first hospital ship where doctors, nurses, and technical staff provided health care and training to people in each country it visited.

2. What are some of the dangers NGOs face?

NGOs usually are formed with humanitarians and doctors knowing full well that they are usually putting themselves in harm’s way to provide services to people who are in need. For example, Medicines Sans Frontiers has lost many members in the Darfur area and the organization International Medical Corps was created to provide aid to Afghan people after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.

3. What are some other roles NGOs play for developing countries?

NGOs also help develop sustainable health care solutions through training programs for underdeveloped countries. The Center for International Rehabilitation has provided training for Iraqi physical therapists, doctors, and rehabilitation clinic managers. These trainees are then able to provide health care for amputees, spinal and head injury patients in their home country.

4. What is the difference between NGOs and Missionaries?

The main basis of NGOs is that they are a group of humanitarians, doctors, and nurses who provide services based solely upon need, without political, ethnic, or religious discriminations. On the other hand, missionary organizations usually perform tasks as a part, for example as a part of to further the goals of a religious organization.

Today, with the aid of newly-formed advanced technology globalization has had a rapid increase making the spread of information and transportation quick and easy. But with globalization however, comes new risks. Physicians warn about the way traveling can facilitate the spread of disease as travelers are exposed to a wide range of different health environments. Travel medicine was developed with this notion in mind.

Physicians estimate that death due to cardiovascular disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of deaths to travelers. Accident and injury accounts for about 25 percent, while infectious disease is the cause of about 3% of deaths.

Physicians estimate that very year, 80 million travelers move from developed countries to developing countries Of those travelers staying about one month in developing nations, half will become sick. Physicians conclude that traveler’s diarrhea is the most common sickness encountered.

1. What encompasses travel medicine?

Areas of travel medicine physicians specialize in include the global epidemiology of health risks, vaccinology, malaria prevention, and pre-travel counseling used to inform travelers what the health risks involve. Physicians practice disciplines in epidemiology, infectious disease, public health, tropical medicine, high altitude physiology, travel related obstetrics, psychiatry, occupational medicine, military and migration medicine, and environmental health.

Physicians in travel medicine study travel through cruise ships, diving, mass gatherings, and wilderness travel. Travel medicine can be divided into four main categories:

a. Prevention of disease: This area includes vaccinations and immunization as well as travel advice to avoid sickness.

b. Assistance medicine: This occurs when a traveler is treated for a condition.

c. Wilderness medicine: This area includes high-altitude medicine, cruise ship medicine, expedition medicine, etc.

d. Insurance medicine: Physicians who work within the fields of life, health, disability care insurance of travelers.

2. What is the central focuses of travel medicine?

Travel medicine provides a strict emphasis on pre-travel consultation and evaluation for prevention of sickness. Planning is important because it will ensure preparation for avoiding disease and give travelers options for what to do if they contract a disease. Post-travel follow-up care is also a prime focus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is an organization of physicians and researchers. WHO provides traveling information about countries and what risks are involved with traveling to those certain countries.

Physicians first and foremost recommend vaccination when traveling to a high-risk nation. Also the “six I’s” should also be considered:

a. Insects: prevented by repellents and medication

b. Ingestions: clean water and food

c. Indiscretion: prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases

d. Injuries: insuring the safety of the traveler

e. Immersion: schistosomiasis

f. Insurance: coverage and services during travel and easy access to medical care.

3. Physicians recommend the use of medication kits. A kit usually includes malaria prophylaxis, condoms, and medication to help treat diarrhea. It also usually contains a basic first-aid kit. The medication kit helps prevent the main medical problems that travelers face; diarrhea or gut problems, respiratory problems, wounds and pain.

Over the years there have been many health concerns that have escalated to threaten the economic and overall stability of the entire globe. Actions to help situations when a global health concern arises includes initiatives to help prevent the spread of the disease and research to discover medicine and vaccines to cure it.

1. Tuberculosis:

In adults, tuberculosis has had a rise in adult mortality and morbidity, especially due to health declines caused by HIV. Tuberculosis is usually spread through the air when people who have the disease cough or sneeze. If left untreated, it can be fatal to more than half of its victims. A third of the world’s population has been infected with M. tuberculosis.

Immunization:

Immunization for children is common for tuberculosis, however, there are no vaccines for adults. The World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency in 1993. Eradication of tuberculosis through immunization research is possible, as humans are the only known carrier of the disease. Development of further immunizations is still making progress. Many promising vaccines are in late stages of research, such as the MVA85A vaccine, currently in phase II trails in South Africa, led by a team at Oxford University.

Treatment:

Tuberculosis is treated using antibiotics although it is very difficult due to the structure and chemical composition of the disease. Tuberculosis requires longer than usual treatment cycles to help improve the health of patients; usually taking about six to twenty-four months. People who have latent tuberculosis are treated so that their health does not advance to active tuberculosis.

2. Measles:

Measles is a major global health concern. It is an infection of the respiratory system caused by the paramyxovirus. Symptoms of this disease include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes. Measles is highly contagious, spreading to other people through fluids from the nose and mouth. Other health concerns from measles is diarrhea, pneumonia, and encephalitis.

Immunization:

Immunization of measles is very common within developed countries by the age of 18 months. A second dose of the vaccine may be given at the age of 4 or 5. The World Health Organization recommends that countries where measles is highly endemic should administer two doses of immunizations to children of six months and nine months of age.

Treatment:

There is currently no cure for measles. Almost all patients who have a mild version of measles will recover to full health with proper rest and care. However, pneumonia may occur as a result of measles.

3. Malaria

Malaria is an one of the most common of infectious diseases caused by parasites transmitted by mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, headaches, chills, and nausea.

Immunization:

There are no effective immunizations for malaria currently. If an individual is bitten from irradiated mosquitoes, it will increase the chances of immunization.

Treatment:

There are several drugs used to treat malaria. Chloroquine was very effective until recently, when malaria was spread from Asia to Africa making the drug ineffective. Prophylaxis is given in large doses to improve the health of malaria victims.