2 smiling men taking selfie at Mayapan ruins

Travel Medicine

Travel is a great way to see the world and experience different cultures and activities, but there can be health risks and concerns, especially with international trips. Before you set off on your next adventure, it’s important to get a pre-travel consultation from a trusted health care provider. 

Whether you’re taking your family on vacation, traveling for work or taking part in a humanitarian effort, the travel medicine specialists at Providence are here to help you prepare for international travel to make sure your global adventures are safe and healthy.   

Food and drink precautions 

Safe food and water can be a concern when traveling outside of the United States. We can help educate you on how to make water safe to drink as well as answer any questions you may have about international foods. 

Mosquito-borne illnesses 

Mosquitoes can transmit diseases. We’ll help you avoid mosquito bites with information about the right insect repellents and how to use them correctly. 

Safe transportation 

Please discuss any health issues with us before you leave so we can help you travel safely. Traveling when you’re sick can put you and others at unnecessary risk.

Traveler’s diarrhea 
The most common medical problem with international travelers is diarrhea. Known as travelers’ diarrhea, it’s actually an acute illness with a sudden onset with watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, mild nausea without much vomiting and general malaise. We’ll help protect you from this unpleasant condition with tips and medication. 

Ask about a prescription for antimalarial drugs if you will be visiting an area that has malaria. Malaria-risk areas of the world include large areas of Central and South America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and many South Pacific islands.

You may need to take one of several different preventive medicines depending on the type of mosquito inhabiting that part of the world. These medicines need to be taken daily during your travels and for a specified time after you return. It is important to take all the tablets you were given. This may mean taking antimalarial tablets for several weeks after you get home.

Many vaccines take time to work effectively. Please visit us at least 4 to 6 weeks before you leave the country. If you’re leaving sooner, let us know.

Make sure all your routine immunizations are up to date for you and your children, including a seasonal flu vaccine. These immunizations can protect you from diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough and rubella that have been virtually wiped out in developed nations but are still prevalent in some developing countries. If you will be traveling to a country where these infections are still common, check your immunity status. Some adults have not received all of these vaccines (especially measles, mumps, and rubella) and may be susceptible unless they have had the disease.

Your tetanus immunization should be updated before traveling if you haven't received one in the last ten years.