Preparing Children for International Travel

摘要

Traveling with a child can be emotionally and educationally rewarding but challenging as well. Children are traveling from North America and Europe to most parts of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. The most common reasons to travel are for leisure and to visit friends and relatives, (1) Children also accompany their families for pilgrimages, study abroad experiences, and parental work. Older children and adolescents travel as part of educational tours and humanitarian mission trips. Similar to adults, children traveling to potentially high-risk regions of the world expose themselves to risks of acquiring malaria, dengue, and diarrheal diseases. These diseases, followed by dermatologic conditions such as cellulitis, bites, and cutaneous larva migrans, are among the most common problems observed in pediatric travelers. Travelers visiting friends and relatives are at a greater risk because most do not visit travel clinics for advice or immunizations. (2) (3) They also tend to visit more remote parts of high-risk countries and stay for longer durations. Although at-risk children may not visit a travel clinic, they may be seen by their primary care health provider. Pediatricians, through setting expectations for parents and answering their questions, play an important role in providing a safer and more comfortable travel experience. Those who attend a specialized travel medicine clinic may do so too close to departure to receive necessary immunizations or may refuse recommended vaccines. Because of this possibility and not having enough time to visit a travel season and staying for at least 1 month. (27) It is also recommended to give the Japanese encephalitis vaccine to individuals staying less than 1 month if they have plans for high-risk activities or itineraries or travel occurring during rainy seasons. The vaccine is safe and immunogenic in young children. (28) (29) (30)