International travel requires days, weeks and sometimes months of preparation. In addition to planning their itineraries and packing lists, international travelers should keep an eye on travel alerts and warnings that may be in place for their destinations. The U.S. Department of State has an online system that helps keep travelers informed about short- and long-term events that may make travel to a country or region risky.
Travel Alerts
The U.S Department of States issues travel alerts for short-term events that travelers should be aware of. These include elevated risk of terrorist attacks, demonstrations or disturbances occurring in the country, or outbreaks of contagious diseases. Once the short-term event is over, the travel alert is cancelled.
Travel Warnings
Travel warnings are more serious and are issued for both short-term and long-term events that travelers should be aware of. These include government instability, civil wars ongoing or rampant crime and violence, or a recent terrorist attacks. Travel warnings are issued when the U.S. Department of State is recommending that travelers avoid a specific country or region and is advising them to consider whether they should visit at all. When the situation in the country changes the warning is lifted. However, some warnings are in effect for years.
To see a list of all current travel alerts and warnings click the following link:
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html
Staying Safe While Traveling to Potentially Risky Destinations
If you decide to travel despite a warning or alert, you can help keep yourself safe and avoid issues by finding out specific information about potential threats. For example, if a country is having an outbreak of a communicable disease, a traveler can take steps to get vaccinated before traveling or take necessary measures to limit exposure. In addition, enrolling is the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is an excellent option. This is a free service that allows U.S. citizens and nationals who are traveling abroad to enroll with the local U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. citizens can share their travel information so the local embassy and consulate can better assist them if an emergency arises. In the event of a medical emergency, a local consulate or embassy can provide the names of doctors or information about dangerous conditions affecting overseas travel.
International Emergency Patient Transport
In the event of a medical emergency travelers may need an international emergency patient transport. SentinelMED’s team of qualified logistics and medical professionals are able to determine the appropriate form of affordable air medical transportation and can help manage the process from end-to-end. As an emergency patient transport service, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who are away from home and in an unfamiliar environment. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more about our services and staff.
