I have chosen to travel to four countries, namely, Canada, England, Australia, and Jamaica, and I have decided to write about the travel advisories that have been issued for them.
Canada
For this destination, I will use the following sources to identify the travel advisories and health risks that have been issued for this area: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) 2011, and Health Information for Travelers to Canada Center for Disease Control Prevention 2011. The travel advisories include the following. Travelers to Canada must have valid passports.
In addition, there have been new security measures for liquids, gels and aerosols at checkpoints and on bound the plane. Moreover, people wishing to travel to Canada are advised that they may be exposed to a number of diseases, although such diseases can be prevented through immunization (PHAC, 2011). Travelers are therefore advised to take pre-travel health assessment.
Health risks one may face from traveling to Canada include exposure to routine vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis B, rabies, plague, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Lyme disease, insect bites, animal bites and scratches, and normal health concerns (CDC, 2011). In addition, travelers are advised to take necessary vaccination to avoid yellow fever into the country.
I would take the following precautions to protect my health in this country: first, before visiting Canada, I would ensure that the routine vaccinations are up-to-date, the yellow fever immunization and its certificate are in order and due to nature of my visit, I would also take rabies and hepatitis B vaccination.
Secondly, to prevent insect bites, I would use insect repellents and wear well-covering clothes. To prevent animal bites and scratches, I would take precaution by not feeding or touching any animals. Additionally, I would maintain the hygiene conditions through washing hands with soap before eating, being cautious of the food I eat, and observing traffic rules. Lastly, I would avoid engaging in highly risky behaviors.
London
For destination London, I will use the following sources to identify the travel advisories and health risks that have been issued for this area: Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2011, Smartraveller 2011, and Health Information for Travelers to United Kingdom CDC 2011. Travel advisories for the people traveling to London include, first, they should avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, following the outbreak of haemolytic ureamic syndrome (HUS) caused by E.coli in Europe (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2011).
Secondly, travelers are reminded of increased risk of terror; thus, they should be more cautious and monitor the security situation closely (Smartraveller 2011). Lastly, the travelers are reminded of global measles and Avian Influenza (H5N1) outbreaks thus they should take necessary measures to prevent contracting them.
The health risks one may face include exposure to routine vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis B, rabies, measles, tickborne encephalitis, leishmaniasis, variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob, trichinosis, HUS, H5N1, and hepatitis A (CDC, 2011). To ensure safety of my health during visit to this destination, I would do the following: first, take safety precautions as recommended for destination Canada. Secondly, I would avoid eating raw tomatoes and vegetables.
Thirdly, I would avoid traveling through the regions hit by the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Additionally, to avoid insect bites from tick and sand fly, which spread tick-bone encephalitis and leishmaniasis, I will apply insect repellent and wear long clothes. Lastly, I would keep a travel checklist and register with the consular registration service for emergencies.
Australia
For destination Australia, I will use the following sources to identify travel advisories and health risks that have been issued for this area: FCO 2011, Terminal U 2011, and Health Information for Travelers to United Kingdom CDC 2011. Travel advisories for people traveling to Australia include the following. First, Australia experiences seasonal natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, flash flooding, bush fires and dust storms, thus they should monitor affected areas carefully (FCO, 2011).
Secondly, they are reminded that Australia is home to many dangerous animals such as snakes, crocodiles, jellyfish, sharks, and poisonous insects (FCO, 2011). Lastly, ash cloud from the erupting Chilean volcano has moved towards Western Australia, forcing many airlines to cancel their flights; hence, they should confirm their flight schedules earlier to avoid inconveniences (Terminal U 2011).
Health risks one may face include exposure to routine vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis B, rabies, measles, Japanese encephalitis, H1N1, dengue, Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River virus, and melioidosis (CDC, 2011).
To ensure safety of my health during the visit to this destination, I would first implement the health safety precautions I recommended for destination Canada. Secondly, I would be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis. Thirdly, I would take extra caution on mosquito bites due to risk of Ross River virus, Dengue, and Murray Valley encephalitis. Lastly, I would register traveler’s emergency contacts and itinerary information.
Jamaica
For this destination, I will use the following sources to identify travel advisories and health risks that have been issued for this area: Jamaica: Country Specific Information 2011, Jamaica Warnings or Dangers 2011 and Health Information for Travelers to Jamaica CDC 2011. Travel advisories for the people traveling to Jamaica include the following.
First, gang violence and crime rates are high in certain areas of Kingston and Montego Bay, thus, travelers are advised to avoid the high threat areas and be cautious of their personal security at all times of their stay (Jamaica: Country Specific Information, 2011). Secondly, they are advised of high number of lottery and investment scams and high prevalence of illegal drug use (Jamaica: Country Specific Information, 2011).
Additionally, they are advised not to backpack through Jamaica due to violence levels in some areas of the country and since tourism mostly occurs only in selected and secured areas (Jamaica Warnings or Dangers, 2011). Lastly, they are warned that Jamaica experiences hurricanes from June to November each year.
The health risks one may face include exposure to routine vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis B, rabies, dengue, hepatitis A, typhoid, leptospirosis, malaria, histoplasmosis, and ciguatera poisoning (CDC, 2011). To ensure safety of my health during the visit to this destination, I would first implement the health safety precautions I recommended for destination Canada. Secondly, I would make sure that I receive vaccinations on hepatitis A and typhoid.
Thirdly, I would avoid any recreational activities in the Jamaican fresh waters to avoid contracting leptospirosis. Additionally, I would vigilant of my personal security and avoid high-threat areas. Lastly, I would take some anti-malaria drugs for prophylaxis.
References
FCO. 2011. Travel advice for Asia and Oceania. Web.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 2011. Travel news. Web.
Health Information for Travelers to Australia. 2011. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Health Information for Travelers to Canada. 2011. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Health Information for Travelers to Jamaica. 2011. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Health Information for Travelers to United Kingdom. 2011. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Jamaica: Country Specific Information. 2011. U.S. Department of State. Web.
Jamaica Warnings or Dangers. 2011. Virtual Tourist. Web.
Public Health Agency of Canada. 2011. Well on Your Way: A Canadian’s Guide to Healthy Travel Abroad. Web.
Smartraveller. 2011. Travel Advice for United Kingdom. Web.
Terminal U. 2011. Australia ash cloud updates & travel advice: what to do if your flight is cancelled. Web.