Travel Medicine Clinic Opens

Calling all globe trotters: Travel medicine clinic opens at Texas Children’s Hospital

HOUSTON (July 29, 2004) — (HealthNewsDigest.com)… While there is never a good time for children to be sick, it can be especially inconvenient and even frightening for a little one to become ill thousands of miles from home.

The Texas Children’s Hospital Travel Medicine Clinic helps families reduce the risk of acquiring illnesses during international travel.

“Certain illnesses such as yellow fever and malaria are more prevalent in foreign countries,” said Dr. Bonnie Word, an infectious disease specialist, chief of the Texas Children’s Hospital Travel Medicine Clinic and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “Our family-centered philosophy means that the entire family can receive vaccines and advice tailored to their travel plans.”

The Travel Medicine Clinic provides vaccines required to enter foreign countries, as well as those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

In addition, specialists at the clinic provide counseling for families with underlying medical conditions that may increase the risk of acquiring infections.

Vaccines provided at the clinic include:

Hepatitis A for adults and children

Immune globulin (protection against Hepatitis A for children under age 2)

Twinrix (a Hepatitis A and B combination vaccine for people 18 years of age and over

Japanese encephalitis

Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR)

Meningococcal vaccines for students entering college

Polio

Rabies

Typhoid

Tetanus/Diphtheria

Varicella

Yellow fever

A physician evaluates patients at each visit, and can provide information on travel-related concerns such as methods to prevent altitude and motion sickness, tips for avoiding and treating insect bites, and instructions for the preparation of drinking water.

Word says the most common health concern of international travelers is contracting malaria. The Texas Children’s Travel Medicine Clinic has information on countries where malaria is a risk and can advise families on prevention and treatment.

Families should schedule a clinic visit at least one month before travel. Some vaccines take several weeks to become effective, while others require multiple doses. The yellow fever vaccine must be received 10 days prior to departure, and Texas Children’s is one of only a few designated sites in Houston where the vaccine is available.

“Our goal is to keep families healthy while traveling so they can have an enjoyable vacation,” Dr. Word said.

www.HealthNewsDigest.com