Lions, tigers and elephants dance in our dreams as Alan and I prepare for our South African safari. But, we’ve been working on this trip since last spring when we started a series of hepatitis shots. Since then, we’ve been inouclated for yellow fever (a requirement for entrance into Brazil where our trip ends), taken an oral typhoid vaccine and packed the anti-malarial drug we’ll be using during part of the safari.
How did we know which immunizations were necessary? When I posted that question at Luxury Cruise Talk, one of the knowledgeable members suggested that my local health department might offer a travel clinic. They were right. So, Alan and I scheduled a visit where the staff educated us about health related travel precautions. They also administered our yellow fever shot, provided prescriptions for the typhoid vaccine and advised our family doctor about which anti-malarial drug to prescribe.
Another good source for immunization education is the The Centers for Disease Control where official government reports advise travelers about travel health issues along with immunization advice, including links to state and county health clinics. If you’re looking for a private travel clinic, the International Society of Travel Medicine offers access to a worldwide database of providers.
Other medical related items on our travel list include packing a copy of prescriptions that we use daily plus copies of optical prescriptions (and packing a second pair of glasses) in case our prescriptions are lost or eyeglasses break.
But, as baby boomers, starting out healthy is the most important step towards a successful trip. So, we’ll be eating right, exercising, taking our vitamins and getting plenty of sleep before that all important trip.
Have you traveled to an exotic location? What medical precautions did you take? Post a comment to share your tips.
