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Don’t Go Viral

Plan and prepare to avoid falling ill during your travels

Like anything else, travel comes with risks. Common health issues on a trip can include traveler’s diarrhea, enterotoxic E. coli diarrhea, malaria, acute febrile respiratory tract infections and influenza. It’s important to take the proper health precautions to protect your children and the rest of your family when traveling in the United States or abroad.

Start with a pre-travel appointment with your doctor, pharmacist or travel health clinic, especially if you are pregnant, have children, are a senior and/or have chronic disease(s) and plan international travel.

Bring to the appointment your itinerary and medical information, including routine vaccination status, allergies, medications and health conditions. Discuss travel-related illnesses, how to prevent them and what to do if they occur. Do the visit four to six weeks before domestic travel, and two to four months ahead of a trip abroad to schedule vaccinations and allow time to build immunity. For example, if your destination requires a yellow fever vaccine, only select clinics offer it and they may not be close to where you live. You must get it at least 10 days before travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on routine and specialized shots and medications you will need for travel and recommends precautions to prevent illnesses not avoided by vaccines, such as through contaminated water, bug bites and exposure to airborne and droplet sources of bacteria and viruses or through sexual contact. Check cdc.gov for country-specific travel notices. Be up to date on routine and COVID-19 vaccines. Other vaccines that may be required include forms of hepatitis, rabies (if you handle wildlife), typhoid fever, yellow fever, cholera, Japanese encephalitis and meningococcal disease.

Pack a well-stocked first-aid kit. Pack enough of your medicine for the trip and carry it labeled and locked in a cool, dark, dry, place away from kids.

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Help at Costco

Costco Pharmacy offers routine vaccinations in all locations and travel vaccines and full-service travel consultations in all California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin locations.

For details, please visit Costco.com and click “Pharmacy” or contact your local Costco Pharmacy.—Becky Dant, Costco Pharmacy

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Costco Connection: Medications and travel items are available in Costco warehouses and at Costco.com. Pre-travel consultations are available in some Costco pharmacies.

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