An ongoing measles outbreak in Europe should be a wake-up call to travelers from the United States to make sure they are up-to-date on MMR and other vaccines before traveling there. According to news reports, at least 35 people in Europe have died because of measles or measles-related complications in the past 12 months. And…
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Will Zika Virus be Back this Summer?
Last summer, news reports on Zika virus and its transmission were regular occurrences, particularly in the weeks before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. After the Olympics, there was less information about Zika, which is transmitted through the bites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes or through sexual contact with someone infected by the virus. Although news…
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How to Compare Travel Insurance Policies
According to Consumer Reports, travelers spend about $2 billion a year to protect themselves from the unexpected. But do they know what they are getting when they purchase travel insurance? Perhaps the bigger question is this: Do they really need it at all? Travel insurance is an umbrella term for five different types of coverage:…
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Medical Tourism: Questions to Ask When Seeking Care Abroad
Traveling outside the United States for medical care is often referred to as “medical tourism.” However, Americans aren’t the only ones who travel outside their home country in search of less expensive medical care. By some estimates, medical tourism is a $100 billion industry that’s powered mainly by middle class individuals and retirees on fixed…
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