Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. -- Spring is the time that people may start planning and scheduling trips to various exotic locations across the globe. For these people, preparation for their trips will generally center on what to bring, like personal items and clothing.
However, people seldom take into consideration the medical aspects of their trips.
Infectious diseases, extreme temperatures and location hazards are among the biggest culprits associated with travel-related illnesses and accidents each year. The elderly, backpackers and families with children are among the growing number of tourists abroad that are high-risk groups. These groups are more susceptible to diseases because their immune systems aren’t as strong.
Many traveling catastrophes can be prevented almost entirely by primary prevention functions, like education on the location, receiving proper vaccinations and packing the correct clothing for the weather.
Public Health’s Travel Medicine Program’s goal is to decrease the various risks of travel to service members and beneficiary populations.
The TMP assessments are individualized, pre-travel appointments that identify risks for a specific location. The program provides education comprised of food safety and sanitation, cold and heat stress precautions, personal hygiene tips, communicable diseases, animal and insect hazards and other country-specific health risks. The program supplies travelers with vaccination recommendations per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Processing through Travel Medicine will allow the proper medical and safety preparation needed for international travel.
Travelers should stop by Public Health as soon as the duration, date, location, and type of activities they will be participating in is decided. Dependents should bring a copy of their vaccination report, their Department of Defense identification card, and be ready to answer questions related to their own or their children’s medical history.
Public Health’s hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holloman Air Force Base Medical Group. Travelers can stop by or call if they have questions concerning their upcoming travel. If travelers have recently returned from abroad and are feeling ill, they can make an appointment to see their Primary Care Manager and inform them of their recent travels. The TMP can be reached at DSN 572-7882.