Before traveling outside the U.S. for business or vacation, there may be vaccine requirements, regional health risks, and other concerns you should factor into your planning.
The Occupational Health Center (OHC) at Chester County Hospital has a comprehensive travel medicine program to help you travel safely. Our medical team provides up-to-date information for travelers about the risks and regulations for each country on their itinerary.
An enjoyable travel experience can help prevent workplace burnout, and the proper precautions can reduce your risk of getting sick and needing time off when you return. Here are 3 benefits our program offers:
1. Vaccine Guidelines and Administration
While the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posts vaccine requirements for international travel, it can be challenging to make sense of which shots are actually needed. Guidelines vary by country, even by region, and typically fall into three categories:
- Required vaccinations, such as yellow fever, are necessary for entry into a country. Without proof of immunization, you won’t be allowed in.
- Recommended vaccinations, such as typhoid, aren’t mandatory but can help prevent disease spread where risk is high.
- Routine vaccinations include childhood shots such as measles and pertussis (whooping cough) plus newer vaccines like COVID-19. Outbreaks of highly contagious, vaccine-preventable diseases are rising along with vaccine hesitation.
Our pre-travel consultation includes a review of your immunization history, immunity testing if needed, vaccine recommendations, and administration of shots. We may also prescribe medications to prevent malaria and other diseases.
Because vaccines and medications require weeks or months to reach full immunity, we suggest travelers schedule their consult a minimum of 6–8 weeks in advance.
2. Personalized, Timely Advice
Travel guidelines can change depending on disease outbreaks, seasonality and weather conditions (such as monsoons), insect or wildlife activity, water contamination, and other details.
Our travel medicine physician, nurse practitioner and physician assistant providers stay current on the conditions that affect health and safety. They will review your itinerary and suggest specific precautions, some that might not immediately be obvious. For example, someone traveling to a construction site may need a tetanus booster in case of injury, and a hepatitis B vaccine in case of exposure to blood. A traveler flying to a higher altitude with no time to acclimate may want medication to prevent altitude sickness.
We also advise travelers with preexisting medical conditions and consult with their physicians to ensure safe travels.
3. Peace of Mind
Our experts will educate you about supplies and resources to help you manage unexpected problems while traveling—from insect repellent to travelers' insurance.
Traveler’s diarrhea is a risk in many countries and can lead to serious illness. While medications are available over the counter in most foreign countries, studies have found those drugs are often counterfeit and ineffective. We tell travelers which medications to bring from home in case they get sick.
Travel medicine covers personal safety as well. Our services include advice on crime, political situations, sexually transmitted diseases, and other possible dangers.
For travelers, including students, who may be abroad for six months or longer, we provide information on physicians, consulates, and nonprofit organizations they can turn to in case of illness, injury, or emergency.
Reach Out to The Occupational Health Center BEFORE You Travel
The health professionals at the Travel Medicine Program at Chester County Hospital can help you prepare for travel. To schedule an appointment for a travel-related health assessment and necessary immunizations and medications, CLICK HERE.