Stay Safe When Studying Abroad

Immunizations Top List Of Important Precautions

By: Liz Connelly

Posted: 4/22/08

When it comes to studying abroad, some of the first things that come to mind are new experiences and new friends. What rarely ever comes to mind is new diseases. However, traveling to a new country, whether it be studying abroad or just vacationing, does require health precautions.

According to Kathleen Sanner from UConn Student Health Services, if students are born in the U.S. they are not given the immunizations for diseases from other countries at birth. So depending on what country you are traveling to, making sure you get the right immunizations is very important.

"You can travel almost anywhere around the world without any required vaccinations, but do you really want to take the chance?" Sanner said.

The immunizations you need vary in different countries. If you are going to London, precautions are as simple as wearing bug spray with DEET to avoid diseases that come from ticks and sand flies, according to the Centers For Disease Control. But other countries may be a little more complicated, like in the Republic of Congo, where you are required to get a yellow fever vaccination and are highly advised to receive six other vaccinations before you enter the country.

According to Sanner, once you have decided on a destination, you can make an appointment with Student Health Services to discuss what vaccinations are required or recommended and their side effects. You can receive the medicine in the same meeting.

Once you are vaccinated you may think you are in the clear, but there are still precautions you need to take while abroad. According to the Office of Study Abroad Web site, if you take a prescription or an over-the-counter medicine it is good to bring enough of it to supply you for your entire time away from home, because you may not be able to find the drug you need in another country.

Other tips to stay healthy in a different country are to make sure your food is cooked well, and only drink bottled water. According to Worldwide Watch, a book of travel health tips, food and water contamination is the most common way a traveler contracts an illness. Another common way for a traveler to get sick is by wearing sandals or thin-soled shoes. It is easy for parasites to enter the body through broken skin on a person's foot, so wearing thick-soled sneakers is important to staying healthy while abroad.

Contact Liz Connelly at

Elizabeth.Connelly@UConn.edu.