June 2024
Dear Families,
Stay safe and healthy this summer! Below are some simple ways to protect your family’s health while in New York City and traveling. Travelers may need to take extra precautions due to the increased risk of some infections. For example, there are measles outbreaks in parts of Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa and there is a large dengue outbreak in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Read on to protect yourself against these and other infections:
Summer and Travel Safety Tips
- Protect against infections caused by tick, mosquito and other bug bites. Ticks are common in brushy or wooded areas in the U.S. and can spread diseases such as anaplasmosis and Lyme disease. Mosquitoes can spread diseases such as West Nile virus in the U.S. and malaria and dengue virus outside the U.S. Use insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Treat gear with permethrin and wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, closed-toe shoes and hats. Travelers should use a mosquito net while sleeping in an area with malaria, dengue or other mosquito-borne illnesses if there are no screens on the windows.
- Keep kids healthy in the water. Do not swim or play in the water if you are sick with diarrhea or have had diarrhea in the last two weeks. Remind children they should not swallow water. Take children to use the bathroom frequently.
- Be safe around animals. Do not pet or feed wild animals. Ask for an owner’s permission to pet any dog or cat.
Additional Tips for International Travel
- Read the Travelers’ Rapid Health Information Portal before traveling. Visit gten.travel/trhip/trhip ↗️ for tailored traveler health advice.
- See your health care provider at least four weeks before traveling. Ask about any medicines or vaccinations you may need. For example, if you are going to a country with malaria, typhoid fever or hepatitis A, your provider can give you medicines or vaccines to help prevent you from getting sick. Make sure you and your children are up to date on routine vaccines. For more information on children’s vaccines, visit bit.ly/kids-immunizations ↗️. Infants ages 6 to 11 months should receive an early, extra dose of measles-containing vaccine before traveling.
- Avoid diarrheal illness. Drink bottled water or disinfect water by boiling it for at least one minute. Avoid eating raw fruits or vegetables that cannot be peeled. Make sure meat is fully cooked and served hot.
Sincerely,
Celia Quinn, MD,
MPH Deputy Commissioner