Take a trip with SHS

Gorakhpur, India

Surfer on the Beach

 

Take a trip with SHS!

Student Health Services sees a lot of students with plans to travel internationally, either as part of one of the many OSU Study Abroad opportunities, other travel associated with academic programs, or recreational travel.  Before you grab that passport and head for the airport, here are some healthy pointers:

  • Plan ahead – Most students plan for months or even years to get ready for international travel. Don’t forget to include health matters in those plans. Some vaccines are given in series over months, so start those early.
  • Get your shot records – Updating any incomplete or expired vaccinations from your childhood is an important part of travel preparation.
  • Talk to your health care provider about your trip – This is especially important for those students with chronic illnesses or prescriptions that they plan to continue while traveling.
  • Do your health insurance homework – Are you covered in Caracas? What is your deductible in Denmark? Is there a co-pay for Tetracycline in Timbuktu? Find out how your travel plans will impact your coverage.
  • Visit a travel expert Our Student Health Services travel providers are ready to address your needs comprehensively, and offer an extensive selection of travel vaccines and medications. If you plan to visit someone else, make sure they are up to date on the changing health situations around the globe. (BTW, SHS is an Ohio Department of Health-certified Yellow Fever Vaccine clinic)
  • Be Patient! – Travel visits usually take a bit longer than a typical visit to the doctor, as each visit includes a thorough review of your health history, a discussion of your destination country’s or countries’ current health and safety conditions, and orders for all necessary medications and shots. Many students also start their vaccines at that same visit, so we would expect that you would be with us 40-60 minutes at a minimum. (All vaccines are recorded on an official International Vaccine Certificate for your convenience.)

Keep in mind, disease exposures can occur on a 3 month excursion across a continent or during a 5 day trip to a beach resort.  So, come see us before you order your Spring Break airline tickets.  Reduce the risk of having your trip to Cabo result in spending the first weeks of Spring Quarter sick from a preventable illness.

Healthy Travels!

Roger Miller MD and Pat Balassone, CNP for BuckMD