Students may want to start thinking about potential health
concerns months prior to packing their bags and heading to another
country for a study abroad program.
This could begin soon, as applications for programs to study
abroad during this summer or fall are usually due around this time
of year.
When going abroad via organizations such as the Education Abroad
Program and Travel Study, students must undergo a health evaluation
by a doctor to ensure they are up to date with their
immunizations.
The required vaccinations vary depending on the country to which
students are traveling.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site suggests
that students make appointments with their doctors in the United
States eight weeks prior to travel. Some immunization series can
take approximately six months to complete.
According to the CDC, the avian flu has been evident among
humans in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey and
Vietnam.
“There is no vaccination (for the avian flu) so the main
thing to avoid is contact with poultry. Avoid eating undercooked
poultry or raw eggs,” said Ashley Christiani, primary care
college chairwoman at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
Christiani recommends that students wash their hands frequently
and carry alcohol-based hand sanitizers in order to help prevent
getting sick, especially in areas where there may not be good
access to water.
Second-year English student Shireen Heidari participated in UCLA
Summer Sessions’ program in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
During her time abroad health care was provided in the
program’s tuition cost, a doctor traveled with her group, and
they had access to a local pharmacy.
“There were a lot of people with allergies because
there’s more pollen in England than there is here,
apparently,” Heidari said.
“You would assume that the food wouldn’t be that
different but in our case the food was a lot heavier so a lot of
people were having trouble. People were getting sick and not being
able to eat because the food was different and processed
differently, but everyone adjusted after about five days,”
she added.
The students were asked to bring medications they used on a
regular basis.
“The brand names don’t necessarily carry over
abroad. Sometimes it’s tough to find what you’re
looking for, especially when the language is different,”
Heidari said.
She also said that a lot of people in England were smokers and
that was another health adjustment UCLA students needed to make,
especially those with asthma.
EAP requires students to have health insurance that will provide
coverage while they are abroad. The UCLA Student Health Insurance
Plan only gives 50 percent coverage internationally, so students
sometimes opt to purchase secondary insurance.
The health and safety practices of EAP begin when students
inquire about the programs, and do not stop until they return to
their campuses, said Bruce Hanna, director of strategic marketing
and communications for EAP, in an e-mail.
He added that an important part of EAP practices is making sure
students understand their personal responsibilities and how
important a factor those are in having a safe and healthy
experience abroad.
There are measures students can take to protect themselves from
common illnesses.
“Depending on the country they are traveling to,
gastrointestinal complaints seem to be No. 1,” Christiani
said.
Not eating undercooked meat or drinking water that may appear to
be contaminated can help alleviate this problem, she said.
“In general, if there is any kind of doubt in terms of the
quality of the water, don’t drink it. Even with brushing
teeth, it doesn’t take a lot of water to get you sick,”
Christiani said.
“What they’re eating should be cooked or something
that can be peeled and not risk that it’s been washed with
tainted water,” she added.
Hanna also said that EAP closely monitors health issues
developing around the world to gauge potential impact on students
and staff abroad.
Other safety practices the CDC details include notifying local
contacts of personal locations and itineraries, not standing out,
not traveling alone at night, and practicing safe road travel.
Those interested in additional
information can research on the Internet at
www.cdc.gov/travel or
www.eap.ucop.edu.