Immunizations & Tips on Staying Healthy

Note to all team members: You will be in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, which is not a malarial area. However, the worksite is about 30 minutes outside of Phnom Penh. And if you go on the optional R&R to Sihnanoukville, it is about 4 hours away on the Gulf of Thailand. Since all areas of Cambodia, except Phnom Penh, are considered malarial, you should talk to your travel clinic about taking a prophylaxis. It is important that you give this information to your travel clinic as the requirements are different for various areas in Cambodia. For example, what you take for areas near the Gulf of Thailand are not effective in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. If you plan on visiting other parts of Cambodia on your own travel, such as Siem Reap, or other countries, such as Vietnam or Thailand, make sure your travel clinic is aware of this as well.

We, as team leaders, cannot tell you exactly what you have to do to prepare to protect your health on this trip. That decision is between you and your health care provider. Because of the health risks that do exist in Cambodia, we strongly advise you to seek out a "travel doctor" or clinic that is familiar with international travel and current exposure potential. Of course there is more to health care than immunizations...such as wearing sunblock and a hat and drinking plenty of water. Your physician will advise you on all of this, as well as other preventative measures.The travel clinic will want you to bring information regarding your up-to-date list of vaccinations, medications, allergies/sensitivities and recent illnesses.

In addition, we encourage you to have a routine check with your General Practitioner, regarding your blood pressure, medications, and overall health for this trip. Let him/her know what the "travel doctor" recommended for you and see if there is an agreeance.

For those of you who often donate blood, please note: You are not allowed to donate blood for at least 1 year after you have returned from a malarious area.

For more information go to www.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/Cambodia. If you go to that website, there are other links mentioned that you can go to for further information. If your travel plans will take you to more than one country during a single trip, be sure to let your health-care provider know so that you can receive the appropriate vaccinations and information for all of your destinations.

Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Cambodia, the government requires travelers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present to present proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Reminder: you are financially responsible for all costs concerning doctor visits and immunizations. These costs are NOT covered in the fees listed for this event.

IMMUNIZATIONS
To view current recommendations and reports on required or suggested immunizations, go to the web at http://www.cdc.gov/travel . To have the most benefit, see a health-care provider at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect and to start taking medicine to prevent malaria, if you need it. Even if you have less than 4 weeks before you leave, you should still see a health-care provider for needed vaccines, anti-malaria drugs and other medications and information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling. CDC recommends that you see a health-care provider who specializes in Travel Medicine. Find a travel medicine clinic near you by going to the web at: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentTravelClinics.aspx