Health problems abroad

Travelling wouldn’t be fun without surprises, but sometimes unexpected events can derail even the most well planned itineraries, especially when dealing with health emergencies. This is why it is important to properly prepare your journey abroad. François, a doctor for AXA Assistance, helps out people in danger, wherever they are in the world. Here are his tips to leave nothing to luck when dealing with your health:

Check online if you need specific vaccines or medication in the country you are going to visit. If this is the case, make sure to get to the doctor. Also know that if you suffer from HIV/AIDS, cancer, liver or kidney disease or rheumatoid arthritis, there are high chances that you won’t be able to get vaccines such as MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) or yellow fever, which are made from live viruses which shouldn’t be administered to people with weakened immune system. Talk to your doctor about your options for protecting yourself from these specific diseases.

This is especially important for senior citizens, pregnant women, people with preexisting conditions, or people who will be in a foreign country for a long time. Subscribing yourself on the lists of your country's embassy in the visited country will help you locate medical services and notify your relatives in the event of an emergency. Also make sure to carry a card that identifies your blood type, any chronic illnesses you have, any medicines you are taking and any allergies you have in the local language. Wear a MedicAlert bracelet if you have serious medical conditions.

If you are on a medical treatment, investigate what type of medication you can take with you abroad, and make sure you take enough of a supply to last your whole trip, as sometimes insurance companies will only pay for a 30-day supply at a time. If an emergency occurs and you have to buy drugs during your trip, buy medicines only from licensed pharmacies and get a receipt. Do not buy medicines from open markets.

The most important insurance is travel health insurance, which will cover the cost of health care received in other countries, and medical evacuation insurance, to cover the cost of transportation to high-quality health care facilities, in the event of an emergency. AXA Assistance USA offers travel plans with different coverage possible that will protect and support you before, during and after your trip. Some of the key benefits include trip cancellation and/or interruption; lost baggage and/or baggage delay; emergency medical expenses; evacuation and repatriation. To learn more about AXA Assistance US’ travel insurance, please visit our website: https://www.axatravelinsurance.com/ or call one of our agents at 855.341.9877.

Even though you can never really foresee an emergency, François’s advice will help you prevent the most common health concerns to be concerned about when traveling abroad, in order to decrease the risk of any issue occurring.