So, you’re planning to visit East Asia with your family during winter vacations? Everyone loves spending their holidays away from their home country to some exotic place. Probably, you already might have started a discussion about your upcoming trip to the dinner table. Obviously, each family member has different desires and wishes when it comes to spending holidays in a foreign country. One person wants to do adventurous things, or the other just want to visit historical places and monuments. Just two months to go and counting would have started by now, hotels are booked, flight dates are confirmed, packing almost done and the places to be visited are also decided.
Now, you must be relaxed - but you’re forgetting something. Have you visited a travel clinic in NYC? This is the most important thing you need to do before boarding, especially if you’re traveling to East Asia. Here, most countries are developing or under-developed. Hence, the risk of acquiring diseases like typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, hepatitis A, and rabies is high. By visiting a travel clinic, you will get to know whether or not you and your loved ones need any travel vaccination. And your health care provider will also instruct about the precautions you must take to keep diseases or illnesses at bay.
Before you visit the best travel clinic in NYC, you must know what to expect during your travel clinic appointment.
Bring your immunization records and your detailed itinerary, including travel dates, planned activities, who you’re traveling with, and exactly where you are going – the more specific, the better. This is important because the nurse or doctor’s advice will be tailored to your health needs and the places you’re visiting. Make a list of any health conditions and medications you are taking.
Preparing for your appointment at the travel clinic
Usually, the travel consultation will take one hour or longer depending on how complex your itinerary is and wait for times post administration of your vaccinations. Do not forget to bring the necessary documents such as previous vaccination records, health history form and detailed itinerary of your trip. If possible, try to book your travel clinic appointment 6 weeks before boarding.
What to expect during your travel clinic appointment?
During your travel clinic appointment, a nurse or doctor will ask you a few questions from your itinerary to your plans for the trip. Here are some of the common questions you can expect:
- When are you traveling? Which country are you planning to visit?
- How long are you planning to stay there?
- Are you traveling for work, vacation, study, or any other reasons?
- Where are you going to stay - hotels, local homes, on a ship, or camping?
- Are you taking any medications?
- Are you up-to-date with your vaccinations?
Depending on your needs, your doctor can recommend you vaccinations and medications according to the place you’re visiting.
After your travel clinic appointment?
If your doctor has prescribed you any medications, such as antibiotics to treat Traveller’s Diarrhea or antimalarial medication, go to a pharmacy to fill prescriptions and refill other important medications.
In conclusion
Always remember, prevention is better than the cure. You definitely want to bring lots of memories from your trip, rather than sickness or disease. So, to have the best and safe foreign trip, visiting a travel clinic is crucial at least a few weeks before boarding.