The Student Health Center can help with your travel needs

Many Mary Washington students travel each semester to Honduras and other Latin America countries. While travel to Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan has no immunization requirements, there are requirements for tropical and subtropical environments.

Review your past immunizations
Your last tetanus shot should be within the past ten years. You should have two MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) shots, at least four polio vaccinations and three hepatitis B shots.

Start Hepatitis A shots
We recommend starting the Hepatitis A series of two shots, preferably, the first at least one month before travel. The second shot is six months later. We have this immunization available in the health center.

Take malaria prevention medication
The most common medications for malaria prevention are taken once a week starting a few days before your trip, during your trip and for four weeks after the trip. The exact medication depends on your destination.

Get immunized against typhoid fever
While the Student Health Center does not carry the shot version, we can give you a prescription for the oral form.

Take an anti-diarrheal prescription with you
You should consider taking Cipro, an antibiotic, in case of traveller’s diarrhea. Take one pill twice a day for three days for acute diarrhea with fever.

Buy mosquito repellent
Malaria is not the only disease carried by mosquitoes. Read about Dengue Fever before you travel. There is no vaccine or treatment. Prevent mosquito bites in the first place.

See the Doctor
We recommend that you make an appointment with the University Physician to review your medical history and immunizations, discuss our travel recommendations and receive prescriptions for the above items.

Get more information from the Centers for Disease Control
We also recommend that you visit http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx for the latest, up-to-date immunization and travel health information for your destination.