Travel Consult Specialist

What is travel medicine?

Travel medicine is a field of medicine that deals with the risks and necessary precautions travelers need to know prior to and during travel to certain countries. Travel medicine focuses on diseases and medical conditions uncommon to the traveler’s country of origin.

What topics are covered during a travel consultation?

After understanding your travel route and ultimate destination, the care providers at Walnut Creek Urgent Medical Care provide you with an overview of potential medical risks. This includes any precautions you should take and can provide any vaccinations you’ll need before traveling.

Vaccinations

Depending on where you’re traveling, you’ll often need to receive vaccinations to protect against certain diseases common to the country. Some countries also require certain vaccinations before you can enter. Some of the more common vaccinations Walnut Creek Urgent Medical Care provides for travel include:

• Typhoid
• Yellow fever
• Hepatitis A and B
• Polio
• Rabies
• Diphtheria

Each country has its own native diseases, so you’ll need to discuss with your Walnut Creek provider which vaccinations you’ll need for best protection.

Medications

If you take medications for existing medical conditions, you’ll need to make sure you have enough to last you for the duration of your trip. It’s not always possible or convenient to obtain a refill on a prescription abroad, so your provider can prescribe the amount you’ll need to make it through the whole trip.

Many travelers also find it useful to bring medications for diarrhea and diseases for which there are no vaccines, like malaria.

Food and drink precautions

Certain types of food and water can be risky for travelers abroad. Developing countries in particular don’t have the same capabilities to treat water supplies or the same standards of food hygiene as more developed countries.

Safety

Some areas of the world experience disease outbreaks or violence that makes travel to these countries dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta issue travel warnings for such events. Walnut Creek Urgent Medical Care will offer recommendations based on your travel destinations.

If you’re planning a trip abroad or just returning from a stay overseas, pay a visit to Walnut Creek Urgent Medical Care in Walnut Creek, California, to stay prepared as you travel and ensure your health when you return. Call to schedule your consultation or book online.