Traveling This Summer? Here Are Tips for Safe and Healthy Travel...
(Updated June 12, 2004)

Top Travel Tips Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, especially before eating. Drink only boiled or bottled water or carbonated drinks from sources you trust. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. Eat only fully cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it! If visiting an area where there is risk for malaria, take malaria prevention medication before, during, and after your trip, as directed. If you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or ticks) use insect repellent (bug spray) with up to 50% DEET. Know what to do to prevent injuries during your trip.

Each year millions of Traveler abroad for vacation or to visit friends and family. By the year 2000, approximately 60 million international passengers traveled by air from the United States annually. Over a third of them traveled to developing countries, where the risk of contracting infectious diseases is higher. About half of international travelers get sick or injured (hurt) during their trip. In 2002, 849 cases of malaria reported to CDC globalwarming awareness2007 warming the climatic globalwarming,  Awareness by Eclipsis Globalwarming 2007 ►  Awareness2007   were related to travel overseas. Of the approximately 400 cases of typhoid fever each year in the U.S., 70% are related to trips abroad. In 1997, 40% of all preventable deaths of U.S. citizens abroad were due to injuries.

The good news is that most travel-related sickness and injury can be prevented. You are likely to be a traveler who has an enjoyable trip free from illness or injury when you follow these tips:

1. Be informed: Learn about travel health risks and what to do to avoid them before your trip.
2. Be ready: Get any vaccinations (shots) or medicines that you will need for your trip.
3. Be smart while you travel: Make sure you follow travel safety tips while you are on your trip.

1. Be Informed

Four to 6 weeks before your trip find out what you need to know about staying healthy and safe in the area where you are traveling by visiting the Travelers' Health website. Using the site is simple. Choose the destination (by region) you are traveling to and you will get information about:

• disease and safety risks and how to avoid them
• special notices about outbreaks or other disease activity
• what vaccinations (shots) or preventive medications (prophylaxis) you should or will be required to get

Important: some countries require you to show them a certificate that says you have had a yellow fever vaccination before you can enter. Only registered healthcare providers can give the yellow fever vaccine.

• Find out if you need a yellow fever vaccination
• Locate a certified yellow fever vaccination clinic

If you are pregnant or traveling with children, traveling with pets, or if you are a traveler with special needs, do not forget to read the specific advice CDC has for you.

To be on the safe side, read Health Hints for the International Traveler before you go. This web page will help you know what to do if you do get sick or hurt on your trip. On this page you will also learn how to handle altitude sickness, extreme heat and cold, and other special situations.

If you are going on a cruise, see our cruise ship travel recommendations, and cruise ship inspection scores from the Vessel Sanitation Program.

For health-care providers, textbook-style information is also available in the CDC publication, Health Information for International Travel, also known as the “Yellow Book”. The 2003-2004 edition includes a new chapter on traveling with children, new text on scuba diving and high-risk travelers, new recommendations on malaria prophylaxis and yellow fever vaccination, and expanded text on altitude sickness, to name a few.

2. Be Ready

If you will need any vaccinations (shots) or medicines, go to your healthcare provider or a travel medicine clinic 4 to 6 weeks before your trip. This will give your shots time to work so that you will be protected during your trip. If it is less than four weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor. It might not be too late to get your shots or medications.

Prepare a traveler's health kit so you have all the medications and supplies you may need before you go.

3. Be Smart While You Travel

• Wash your hands often and well with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub to help kill germs, especially before eating! If you are going on a cruise, read this fact sheet about handwashing, too. (in Adobe PDF format)
• Drink only boiled or bottled water or soft drinks from sources you trust. Do not drink tap water, fountain drinks, or eat ice cubes.
• Only eat food that has been cooked all the way through or fruits and vegetables that have been washed and peeled. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
• If visiting an area where you might get malaria, make sure to take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after your trip, as directed.
• If you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or ticks) use insect repellent (bug spray) with up to 50% DEET. The label on the container will tell you the DEET content.
• Make sure you know how to keep yourself from being injured (hurt) while you travel.

Follow the tips and recommendations your healthcare provider and the CDC Travelers' Health site offer, and you are more likely to remain healthy and safe, so you can enjoy your time away from home.

Happy traveling!