Heading out of the country for spring break? Traveling abroad to study or conduct research? Have all your ducks in a rowpassport, tickets, lodging accommodations?

Good, but did you remember to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A? What about preparations for dealing with malaria, typhoid or travelers diarrhea?

If not, the WVU Student Health Services International Travel Clinic can provide the vaccinations necessary for making sure a trip abroad is a healthy experience. Located in the Student Health Service (Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center Ground Floor), the travel clinic can help protect travelersstudents, employees and the general publicfrom possible exposure to disease.

The clinic provides inoculations for many common diseases such as influenza, measles, chicken pox, tetanus and diphtheria but also provides vaccinations for more exotic maladies. Twinrix (Hepatitis A&B combination) and typhoid vaccines are also available and, the clinic is the only provider of the yellow fever vaccination in north-central West Virginia.

Utilizing TRAVEX Encompassa professional travel counseling systemand The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel guidelines, the health care professionals at the clinic assist travelers in evaluating the potential health issues of their destination.

We are able to provide each patient with detailed information,said Dr. Gregory Juckett, associate professor of family medicine and director of the travel clinic.With the TRAVEX reports we can identify the recommended vaccines, malaria prevention information, health alerts and even inform our patients of security hazards for their destinations.

The clinic receives weekly updates and can reference specific regions throughout the world. The staff then shares the medical recommendations with the patient and helps them decide which vaccines are best.

We will discuss the options and weigh the risk of the recommendation with our patient,said Jackie Mier, a registered nurse at the clinic.There may be an alert for a disease outbreak in one area of the country, but it may not necessarily apply for all regions of that county.

Conversely, travelers often should be vaccinated for a disease that is not officially required by a country for admission.

The single most important vaccine is Hepatitis A if you are going to a developing county,Juckett said.The virus is easily spread through fecally contaminated food and water or you could get exposed to it while swimming in what looks like clean ocean water.Routine vaccinations like tetanus should also be updated before a trip,said Juckett.

The clinic can also help foreign travelers prepare for many other issues regarding international travel such as finding a physician abroad, information on travel advisories and even measures to reduce jet lag.

In order to prepare for an appointment at the clinic, visitors should bring their anticipated travel dates, itinerary and accommodations plans. Past immunization records a list of allergies and current medications will also help. Finally a Questionnaire for International Travelers should be completedwhich is available for download at the clinics web site:http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/shs/services/internationalTravel.asp.

Proper preparation for travel usually results in healthier and safer trip,Juckett said.Its best to anticipate potential problems so you dont have to experience them first-hand, and pre-travel counseling is the best way to do this.

To contact the Travel Clinic, call 304-293-1379 or visit on-line at address above.