Doug Williamson, Windsor Star
Published: Friday, February 03, 2006
Thinking of booking that last-minute vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean on the Internet?
Before you click on that computer mouse, pick up the phone and call the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit or your family doctor.
FATAL ILLNESSES
More and more Canadians are becoming aware of the dangers of contracting serious, potentially fatal illnesses such as hepatitis A and B, malaria, yellow fever and others depending on their destination.
Health officials are not telling you to stay home, they are recommending taking the necessary medications and getting appropriate vaccinations. And while many Canadians are still going to some popular sun spots without taking these steps, more and more people are lining up for their shots.
"The developing world is covered with a fecal veneer," said Dr. Jay Keystone, a University of Toronto tropical disease expert and a member of the Toronto General Hospital tropical disease department.
"Canadians are willing to buy insurance in case they lose their luggage. Canadians are not willing to pay for vaccination to protect their lives."
"These vaccines are a lifetime investment," Keystone said.
"We can't control everything when we go away," added Deb Bennett, director of health protection at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, which offers a travel clinic.
A computerized program is constantly updated to provide information on disease outbreaks or prevalence around the world, she said, and the health unit can provide the proper protection.
For example, if you are going to be spending time in a rural area, you may need a rabies shot. Some countries, including Central America or the Caribbean, have malaria outbreaks. And you should always carry something to treat diarrhea.
In parts of Africa or the Orient, yellow fever, cholera and malaria need to be guarded against, Keystone and Bennett said. In the resort areas of the Caribbean and Mexico, there is a danger of contracting hepatitis A or B, either from contaminated water, ice cubes or food, or coming into contact with contaminated dental, hairdressing, manicure and other instruments. Hep B can also be spread by contact with bodily fluids, so Keystone recommends avoiding sexual contact with local residents.
Surprisingly, staying at a five-star hotel or resort is no guarantee. And Keystone said taking the right precautions allows you to enjoy the vacation experience without worry.
"The bottom line is this is poor hygiene and poor sanitation," he said of many countries outside Canada, the U.S., Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
The most common cause of death for Canadian travellers, however, is not illness. Keystone said the leading cause of death is accidental injuries, and half of those involve motor vehicle accidents. For that reason, he said, common sense dictates that you stay off rural roads at night.
He also said people who have immigrated here and go back home years later for a visit should be inoculated because they may pick up illnesses while abroad.
Bennett said the health unit offers a 90-minute counselling session plus a number of sessions on administering the appropriate medications. Vaccines can often take three weeks to become effective, so it is important to book your appointment as early as possible. Currently, there is a four-week waiting list
Topic: Re: Another Reminder to get Vaccinated (Read 2517 times)