Put the "Bon" in Bon Voyage at the MCHD Travel Clinic
May. 14, 2025
By Mary Wade Burnside
Traveling abroad? Add Monongalia County Health Department’s International Travel Clinic to your to-do list.
Different nations require different vaccines, either as a routine matter or because of an outbreak. Sometimes, certain vaccines might not be required, but are a good idea. Rabies, for instance, is much more common in some foreign locations compared to the United States.
And not to be a henny penny, but sometimes a trip can come to an abrupt halt because the traveler has not obtained the proper vaccine.
Take the time that musical duo Tenacious D planned to open for the Foo Fighters in Rio de Janeiro. That lineup didn’t happen because Tenacious D members were turned away at Brazil’s customs because they had not been vaccinated for yellow fever.
If only they followed Monongalia County Health Department on social media! Even we were publicizing that outbreak to warn area residents who might be traveling there.
If you are familiar with the area to which you are traveling, the situation may have changed so it’s good to get an update.
For instance, yellow fever as a cause of concern in Brazil has been replaced in that country by another mosquito-borne illness, Oropouche fever.
But yellow fever cases are now elevated in Nigeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel’s Health website.
If you are going to a place where yellow fever is a concern, it’s just a one-dose vaccine. Japanese encephalitis, another mosquito-borne illness more common in parts of Asia and the western Pacific, requires two doses 28 days apart (and a 12-month booster if you remain in the area).
That’s why anyone with international travel on their mind should call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment in time to get any vaccines and follow-ups necessary, and in the optimal frame for the inoculations to become fully effective.
It’s also good to make sure you are up-to-date on less exotic vaccines as well, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
Of course, vaccines aren’t the only items on your international travel checklist. There are definitely other considerations you want to address before leaving.
Such as: Are you planning ahead so you will have plenty of your prescribed medications with you, as well as proper documentation to get them through customs? Did you know that counterfeit meds are ubiquitous in some countries, so taking them with you from home is your best bet? And are any of your prescribed medications not allowed into a country where you are traveling?
Also, do you know handy tips for surviving long plane rides comfortably? Hint: Compression stockings and hydrating are your best friends; contact lenses are not.
It might be recommended to drink bottled water at your destination, but don’t forget to also use it to brush your teeth and to avoid letting shower water get into your mouth.
And do you know which to apply first, sunscreen or mosquito repellent — the latter of which you really want to slather on in areas with mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, Dengue, West Nile viruses or malaria? (Hint: sunscreen first, then mosquito repellent).
Dr. Brian Huggins, Monongalia County Health Department’s health officer, is a seasoned traveler himself and is now conducting the appointments.
MCHD’s website offers more information about the International Travel Clinic.
Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department.