Center for Disease Control explains Travel Health Notices given to travelers

TravelTalkRADIO March 23, 2014

    Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Contributor to TravelTalkRADIO and BusinessTravelRADIO                                                                                              Kate Spruit-McGoff Nurse Consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch

Center for Disease Control explains  Travel Health Notices given to travelers Kate Spruit-McGoff joins Sandy for an interesting discussion about the CDC criteria regarding posting health notices. Kate is a Nurse Consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch. She is also a Lieutenant in the United States Public Health Service. Her core work for CDC includes researching and developing travel notices, writing website content, and clinical education. She is a board member of the American Travel Health Nurses Association (ATHNA) and chair of ATHNA’s Communication Committee. What are the CDC Travel Notices?CDC posts travel health notices about disease outbreaks, major disasters, and international gatherings, such as religious or sporting events.          The notices include information about the situation or health risk, who is affected and how travelers can protect their health. How does CDC determine when to post a notice? CDC monitors disease outbreaks and other situations around the world. We use standard criteria to evaluate situations and determine whether or not a notice is warranted. TH reports on unusual or unexpected situations that are likely to affect travelers or to spread internationally. Travel notices are reserved for unusual situations, but expected disease risks are explained at the CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/travel

What are the different levels of travel notices?

Warning Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel

Alert Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Watch Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions

·       Notices are assigned different levels based their
health recommendation.

·     Each travel health notice has a section that gives
advice about how travelers can protect themselves.
For example, a Level 1 Watch advises travelers to 
“Practice Usual Precautions.” These usual precautions would be following the same healthy habits recommended for all travelers for that destination,  such as washing your hands or avoiding mosquito bites.
A Level 2 Alert advises travelers to “Practice Enhanced Precautions.”These enhanced precautions would not normally be recommended for that destination and could include actions such as getting a vaccine or taking a medication.

A Level 3 Warning advises travelers to “Avoid Nonessential Travel.” This level of a travel health notice recommends that travelers avoid traveling to the destination unless absolutely necessary. 
Warnings are used rarely and only in the most serious circumstances.