As March Break nears, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is providing tips to ensure families are prepared for travel.
The Health Unit is strongly advising everyone to ensure they are up to date with all their vaccinations prior to traveling.
Those who are not fully vaccinated are at higher risk of getting vaccine-preventable infectious diseases while traveling. According to WECHU, vaccinations should ideally be given at least two weeks before departure
Residents are encouraged to consult with their health care provider prior to traveling internationally to obtain travel-specific advice.
The Health Unit states that the most common illness among travelers is caused by eating or drinking contaminated food and beverages.
Some tips include only eating foods that are well cooked and served hot, boil it, cook it, peel it or leave it, drink from sealed bottles if you're unsure if local water is safe, and wash your hands often.
Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, Medical Officer of Health at WECHU, says see your doctor prior to your trip.
"A family physician, a pediatrician, whomever their primary care is, if they're children, if they're adults, talk to them to make sure that they're ready for that trip - if it's international it's more important. And routine vaccination is very important, I strongly encourage."
He says food and beverage contamination is very common.
"Make sure that those fruits are washed, those beverages are prepared in a healthy way, and there is advice that boil it, cook it, peel it or leave it. So if it's water, you're not sure, boil it. If there's something raw, cook it."
Dr. Aloosh says be aware of different diseases in other countries.
"Just make sure that we are far from wildlife, or protecting us and children from wildlife. There's avian flu around the world, rabies is there."
March Break runs from March 16 to March 20.
Upon your return to Canada, if you start feeling unwell, stay home and call a health care professional. Describe your symptoms and mention the countries you visited so they can prepare for your arrival and prevent the spread of any infectious diseases.
More health and travel-related information can be found on the Government of Canada's Travel Health portal.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides