Put the “bon” in Bon Voyage with MCHD travel clinic

Feb. 26, 2026

By Mary Wade Burnside

Have you heard of chikungunya? If you are planning a trip to Suriname, Bolivia or Seychelles, it would be a good idea to learn about this mosquito-borne illness.
Those who plan to travel overseas can contact Monongalia County Health Department to make an appointment with our International Travel Clinic.
While we don’t regularly stock the chikungunya vaccine, we can get it in pretty quickly, said Dr. Brian Huggins, Monongalia County Health Department’s health officer who is also certified through the International Society of Travel Medicine, a designation that has enhanced his knowledge of the topic and ensures that he is using standardized and proven metrics when he conducts exams.
In addition to providing vaccines that individuals might need as they venture out into the world, Dr. Huggins also offers helpful advice, like how to avoid traveler’s diarrhea.
“There are lots of places where you need bottled water,” Dr. Huggins said. “And a lot of people forget about brushing their teeth. People will drink bottled water whenever they need to drink water and then they go to brush their teeth and they rinse their toothbrush straight in the sink, and boom.”
Different nations require different vaccines, either as a routine matter or because of an outbreak or a rise in active cases, like chikungunya listed above. 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.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) is warning of polio in several countries, diphtheria in Guinea and yellow fever in Colombia.
If you are going to a place where yellow fever is a concern, it’s just a one-dose vaccine. But preventing 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?
This is a good time to mention that Dr. Huggins can prescribe anti-malarials as well as medications to treat travelers diarrhea, altitude sickness, sea sickness, oral typhoid and oral cholera. These are available with an exam.
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.
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).
MCHD also offers student and family discounts. Find out more on our website at www.monchd.org/services/international-travel-clinic or by calling 304-598-5119.

Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department.