By Tian Zhang, Fred Cheng, and Christine Cheng (Pharmacists)
Sunny destination: check. Plane tickets: check. Sunscreen: check. Luggage: check. Passport: check. Missing something? If you have planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip to an exotic locale, don’t forget that there are several things you can do to prevent falling deathly ill. One of these things is VACCINATIONS. Read on to see why scheduling a Travel Clinic at CLOVERDALE PHARMASAVE or PHARMASAVE STEVESTON VILLAGE should definitely be on your travel checklist.
Going on a trip to an exotic location is exciting! Unfortunately, too many tourists become preoccupied with their itineraries that they neglect the important fact that certain diseases still exist in some parts of the world that may not be present in North America. The symptoms of these diseases could vary from light-headedness, fatigue, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, anxiety, or all of the above.
Falling ill during a trip is never fun. This is why TRAVEL CLINICS are now being heavily recommended by THE CENTRES FOR DISEASE CONTROL, as it may help prevent various cases of infections that may seriously ruin your trip.
Vaccines play a crucial role in ensuring travellers stay healthy from exposure to hepatitis, yellow fever, cholera, or succumbing to shingles during their trip. Most vaccines may take weeks or even months to take effect in the body. Furthermore, some oral travel medications are only available with a physician’s prescription. Play it safe: contact us approximately 4-6 weeks before you leave for your trip, and set up a time to come sit down with our travel expert pharmacists, where we will thoroughly review your:
- vaccination history
- itinerary and the diseases that are rampant in the areas you will be visiting
- prescription medications you may require to better prepare for your trip (i.e. anti-malarial medications, antibiotics to help treat Traveller’s Diarrhea)
- the status of your health and implications it may have on the recommended vaccinations
Despite the advancements in vaccine technology and their abilities to protect you against various transmittable diseases, there are still diseases that we have yet to find a vaccine against. This is why it is crucial that during our travel consultation, our travel expert pharmacist will also be keen on recommending over-the-counter medications, supplements and non-drug measures that will keep you healthy before, throughout and after your trip.
We are passionate about making your pre-travel plans as hassle-free as possible. Simply contact us to book an appointment, and we will take care of helping you and your family travel smart.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-owned and operated Pharmasaves in Cloverdale and Steveston Village, B.C. Tian Zhang is a dedicated cosmetic pharmacist at the Steveston location who has a keen interest in skincare, as well as travel health. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use, as well as lifestyle modification. Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
