“Long Islanders traveling to Europe should take steps to protect themselves against measles,” said Nassau University Medical Center President /CEO Dr. Victor Politi, who cited a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises travelers to protect themselves before traveling to Europe.
Since last year, the CDC has issued travel health notices specifically for the following European countries: France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Romania.
The CDC also advises that Americans who haven’t been vaccinated or exposed to measles, should get vaccinated before international travel.
“Most measles cases in the United States are contracted from abroad and brought back,” said Politi. “Our goal is to not only protect travelers from contracted infectious disease, but also protect the people back home once those travelers return.”
Measles spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC calls measles “the most contagious of all diseases,” and estimates that nine out of 10 susceptible persons in close contact to someone who is infected will develop measles.
Nassau University Medical Center offers a comprehensive personalized Travel Medicine Service to protect travelers going abroad for both business and pleasure. The service provides expert consultations and vaccinations for measles and other infectious diseases based on the part of the world where the traveler intends to
be heading.
“The Infectious Disease experts in the travel medicine service at NUMC utilize the most up-to-date travel disease databases to administer required and recommended vaccinations, provide an International Certificate of Vaccination, and provide necessary prescriptions for preventive medications,” said Politi.
The travel medicine service serves both individuals and travel groups. A thorough medical history assessment, combined with an itinerary analysis, is done to determine the recommended and required vaccinations along with other preventive measures based on destination and length of stay.
—Submitted by NUMC
