Monday, April 9, 2012

Before heading overseas, visit the doctor

If you talk to University of Illinois Springfield health services director Lynn Price before leaving for your trip, you may reconsider ever leaving your house again. Price counsels students at UIS about international travel, and she’s aware that the information she offers about how to avoid illness abroad can be daunting.

“What I always preface my programs or consultations with is, ‘By the time I’m through, you’re going to be scared witless, and you’re not going to want to go, but we haven’t lost anyone yet,’” she says. “It’s better to have the consultation and know what you need to know.”

The first step, Price says, is to consult with professionals at an international travel clinic. A general practitioner may not carry all the vaccines a traveler needs to visit a particular location.

There are two international travel clinics in Springfield: Springfield Clinic and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Travelers should know details about the country where they’re traveling.

Price was featured in an April 9, 2012, article in The State Journal-Register.

Read the article online