Common Sense and Travel Insurance, Weapons Against the H1N1 Virus (“Swine Flu”) and Other Illnesses
1. Wash your hands frequently and avoid handshakes and other physical contact with strangers and animals.
2. Take full bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medications when you travel. What happens when you are fumbling in the dark and half of your medicine goes down the drain?
3. Keep your medicines with you at all times. Do not check them in your luggage and do not leave them out in the open in your hotel room.
4. Take paper prescription orders with you. Drugs are commonly stolen and if you need to replace them, you will need a prescription. Be aware that not all American drugs are readily available outside the country. You may be able to purchase some prescription drugs over the counter in some nations.
5. If you need to purchase drugs outside the United States, they may not be the same quality — there is no FDA in Jamaica.
6. If you wear glasses, bring a copy of your prescription. Again, the quality might not be as good as home, but you won’t be blindly stumbling through the rest of your vacation.
7. If you fall ill, check with the hotel staff first. Most hotels have an English-speaking doctor on call for sick guests. This is a good first step and he can determine if more care may be warranted.
8. Check out Traveler Resources to see current warnings and recommended vaccinations for different countries. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a great resource as is your personal physician.
9. Make sure your travel insurance company has English speaking contacts (iTravelInsured® does). If you are not critically injured, you want to be describing your problem in English to someone who understands.
10. Stay away from small clinics and doctors’ offices in an unfamiliar area. In many countries, almost anyone can hang a shingle that reads “doctor.” If you need emergency care, go to as large a hospital as possible - generally they have some standard operating procedures.
11. If you are hospitalized, get a private room and monitor your medications and treatments. If possible keep a written record of it (or have a traveling companion do so) so that you can show it to your physician back at home. If possible, obtain the hospital records. This will also help with any insurance claims.
12. If you have to ask if you can drink the local water — don’t. Remember, ice in your drink is probably made with the local water.
13. If you have travel insurance, call the Emergency Travel Assistance number as soon as possible to report your medical problem. They are available to assist you 24/7, including arranging an air ambulance or a medical repatriation if necessary.
