5 Steps to Health Preparation Before Traveling

For those of you planning a vacation, it's important to prepare before traveling to maintain your health. This preparation will help prevent health problems during and after your vacation.

Health preparation before vacation is not only applicable for overseas trips, but is also important for out-of-town trips.

What health measures should you take before your vacation? Read the full review here.

Various Preparation Tips Before Traveling 

Here are the health steps you need to prepare before going on holiday:

1. Conduct a health check

BioMed Research International  states that conducting health checks is very important to evaluate overall health and detect disorders or diseases early.

Pre-travel health checks are recommended especially for:

• People who are going on holiday abroad.
• Children.
• Pregnant mother.
• Elderly people (seniors).
• People who are undergoing treatment.
• People who have chronic diseases. 

A health check should be done at least 1 month before the trip, but for those who are undergoing treatment or have certain health conditions, it is recommended to follow the schedule determined by the doctor.

2. Get vaccinated

For those of you planning to travel abroad, there are often requirements to get certain vaccinations, such as the meningitis vaccine for Hajj pilgrims in Mecca.

These vaccinations are essential to protect the body from infectious or endemic diseases that may be present in the destination country. Make sure you know what vaccines you need before traveling to your destination country.

Some types of travel vaccines that are usually recommended before traveling abroad include:

• COVID-19 vaccine.
• Influenza vaccine .
• Hepatitis A vaccine.
• Japanese encephalitis vaccine.
• Rabies vaccine.
• Typhoid fever vaccine.
• Yellow fever vaccine.  

It is recommended to start this vaccination about 4-8 weeks before departure or travel.

Also read:  Learn how to register for vaccinations online using the U by Prodia app.

3. Maintain a healthy and fit physical condition

To stay healthy during the holidays, it's important to adopt  healthy habits  well in advance. Here are some ways to do this:

• Consume healthy food with balanced nutrition.
• Do sports or physical activities regularly.
• Ensure adequate sleep by meeting  ideal sleeping hours .
• Manage stress well.

4. Prepare medicines

An important pre-travel preparation that shouldn't be forgotten is medication. In addition to personal medications, you'll also need to pack medications and a general medical kit (first aid kit).

Carrying personal medication while traveling is important as a first aid measure in case of injury or health issues while on vacation. Some common medications you should carry while traveling include:

• Pain reliever and fever reducer.
• Flu and cough medicine.
• Anti-nausea and anti-motion sickness medication.
• Medicine for ulcers or stomach acid.
• Allergy medication.
• Wound drying medicine. 

5. Take advantage of travel health insurance

Unexpected health issues can sometimes arise while traveling. To anticipate this, it's recommended to obtain travel health insurance.

Travel health insurance is usually recommended for trips longer than 6 months, or if you will be engaging in outdoor or adventure activities such as diving, hiking, caving, or whitewater rafting.

Book a Pre-Travel Medical Check-Up with U by Prodia!

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How to Get a Medical Check-up and Vaccination 

To get a health check-up and vaccinations before traveling, you can visit your nearest Prodia clinical laboratory branch. You can also book your health check-up and vaccination appointments through the  U by Prodia app .

The health check-up packages at Prodia that you can choose include:

• Healthy Life Panel, to evaluate general health conditions and detect common disorders or diseases such as blood disorders, liver and kidney dysfunction.
• Wellness Panel, to evaluate the risk of diseases such as heart disease, liver and kidney disorders, and cancer.  

By understanding and following these health preparation steps before traveling, it is hoped that you can maintain your body's health during your vacation.

Also Read:  Tips for Exercising When You're Busy

References:

Travel medicine and infectious diseases (2022). Travel vaccines throughout history. 

BioMed Research International (2021), Routine Medical Check-Up and Self-Treatment Practices among Community-Dwelling Living in a Mountainous Area of Northern Vietnam.

Primary care (2018). Health Guidelines for Traveling Abroad.

World Health Organization, Vaccines.

Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (2023), Travel Insurance.

Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (2023), Need travel vaccines? Plan ahead.

Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (2023), Before You Travel.

John Hopkins Medicine, Traveler's First-Aid Kit.

Health Direct (2023), Travel vaccinations.

Healthline (2023), Top 10 Tips for Staying Healthy.

Verywell Health (2023), The 8 Best First Aid Kits of 2023.