In a perfect scenario, travelers have weeks or months to plan for travel across the United States or outside the country. However, a need to visit a sick family member, an unexpected business trip, or even a can’t-beat deal on an airplane ticket may make last-minute travel a necessity. Preparing for last-minute travel can help avoid a medical emergency and the need for a medical repatriation service.
With a valid passport, travelers have cleared the biggest hurdle to last-minute travel outside the United States. The next step is to schedule a visit to the doctor, preferably a medical travel clinic if you have time.
Depending on the destination, the doctor may recommend vaccines including tetanus, polio, typhoid and hepatitis A, which are all single-shot vaccines. Adults should keep current on these vaccines throughout their lives, but many forget to follow the recommended schedule for booster shots.
Other vaccines require four to six weeks or multiple shots to provide full effectiveness. However, one shot may provide partial immunity. The travel clinic doctor may be able to recommend other ways travelers can protect themselves, such as being careful with what they eat and drink, or thoroughly cleaning any wounds with soap and water, if there is not enough time to achieve full immunity by vaccination.
Travelers to South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago may be encouraged to get a vaccine for yellow fever. Some countries in Africa require proof of this vaccine before entry, and that proof is not valid until 10 days after the vaccine is given. The vaccine for meningococcal disease is also one-shot vaccine, but like the yellow fever vaccine does not provide immediate immunity. It is a requirement for travel to Saudi Arabia.
In many parts of Africa, South America, Central America and Asia, antimalarial medication is recommended for travelers. Some antimalarial drugs must be started a week or two before travel, while others can be taken a day or two before leaving the United States. However, no antimalarial medicine is 100 percent effective, so doctors often recommend that travelers bring mosquito nets or insect repellant to provide additional protection against malaria and other insect-borne illnesses.
Even when making an unexpected trip, a traveler should leave flight, hotel and contact information with family members or a trusted friend. In the event of a medical emergency, this information can be used to arrange medical repatriation for a sick or injured traveler.
When Medical Repatriation Service is Necessary
Illness or injury is unescapable part of everyday life. For travelers who are far away from home, however, the issue of arranging medical care can quickly become complicated. A heart attack or stroke, for example, will require emergency intervention and the possibility of medical repatriation. Identifying a medical repatriation service before travel, even unexpected travel, is time well spent.
SentinelMED provides medical transport, medical repatriation, and medical escort services to help navigate the complexities of long-distance travel for sick or elderly patients. Medical repatriation involves arranging every step of a patient’s care from discharge at a hospital or medical facility to a receiving health care facility or family member who is able to assume their care.
Medical repatriation typically involves a patient whose acute medical condition has been addressed. In these situations, there is usually time to make plans that are safe and appropriate for the patient’s medical needs and to ensure that the travel experience is as comfortable as possible.
For patients who do not have a family member or friend to travel with them, a medical escort can make it possible to arrive home safely. SentinelMED’s medical escorts are typically ICU or emergency medicine-trained nurses or doctors who are skilled problem solvers. They closely monitor a person’s medical status from origin to destination and provide frequent, live updates to his or her designated contacts.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
