CDC Health Tips for Travelers to the Cricket World Cup

This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

Hello, this is Dr Gary Brunette from CDC in Atlanta, with a few health tips for those of you traveling to the Caribbean for the Cricket World Cup. The matches take place during March and April this year. The event promises to be very exciting, and you don't want an illness or injury to ruin your fun.

We know you have a long list of things to do to get ready for your trip, but we would like to add a few more:

• See your doctor before you travel. Make sure you're up to date on all routine vaccinations. You should specifically ask about measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and influenza. Depending on where you're going, you might need malaria prevention medicine or other vaccinations. Discuss your specific plans with your doctor.
• If you are visiting Kingston, Jamaica, or anywhere outside of Georgetown in Guyana, be sure to take your malaria prevention medicine before, during, and after your trip, as directed.
• Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travel to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. You may be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccination if you travel to other areas within 6 days of visiting either country.

While it is important to protect yourself from infectious diseases, don't forget more common travelers' complaints, such as diarrhea, sunburn, and insect bites. Leave room in your suitcase for a travel health kit that includes an adequate supply of your prescribed medicines in their original containers, over-the-counter medicines you may need while away, alcohol-based hand gel, sunscreen, and plenty of insect repellent.

Use insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you're outdoors, as a barrier to mosquito bites. When using sunscreen, apply the sunscreen first and then the insect repellent and wash the repellent off at the end of the day, before going to bed.

While enjoying the matches, remember to practice good, common-sense safety measures:

• Don't drink and drive
• Wear your seat belt, and follow local traffic laws.
• Wear a helmet when you ride a bike or motorcycle.
• Wash your hands often
• Eat only fully cooked foods and drink only bottled water or carbonated drinks from cans or bottles with intact seals

We hope you enjoy yourself and come home with only good memories of your trip. However, if you aren't feeling well or get a fever after you get home, see your doctor right away and tell the doctor about your travel. This is especially important if you visited a malaria risk area. Malaria can develop for up to 1 year after travel.

For more information about how to stay healthy and safe while traveling internationally, please visit our website at www.cdc.gov/travel.

I hope you enjoy the matches.
HOWZAT!

To access the most accurate and relevant health information that affects you, your family and your community, please visit www.cdc.gov.