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Community and Events, North America

Atlanta Learns About Travelers’ Health With CDC

Members of Travel Massive’s Atlanta chapter partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to chat about how travelers can remain healthy through pre-trip preparation and while they’re abroad.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are based in Atlanta, and had their Travelers’ Health division at the Hard Rock Cafe to chat to our Travel Massive members.

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The downtown favorite eatery hosted us in their Atlanta Rhythm Section room, which is decorated in memorabilia from notable Southern rock artists like the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes and the Marshall Tucker Band. Guests chowed down on bites from the Hard Rock menu, including flatbreads, egg rolls, chicken wings and potato skins.

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Chapter leader Caroline Eubanks went over a few housekeeping topics including volunteers, upcoming events and new features of TravelMassive.com. She then introduced our speaker for the evening, Carolina Uribe, who works for the CDC. There were also other representatives from the organization in attendance to answer additional questions. Carolina first asked:

How many of us have been sick while traveling?

Many of us raised our hands, sharing stories of minor mishaps like food poisoning to major illnesses like dengue fever. She told us that 68 million international trips were taken by US residents in 2014. That put a scale to just how quickly diseases can spread.

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What was on many of our minds was the Zika virus, which has been in the news for its status in Central and South America, and the Caribbean. It’s currently in 39 countries and US territories and specifically affects pregnant travelers and women trying to get pregnant because of possible resulting birth defects.

The easiest way to avoid getting the Zika virus, and other mosquito borne illnesses, is to wear insect repellant with a DEET level of at least 20 percent.

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Among the resources that the Travelers’ Health division provides on their website, which allows you to see which disease might affect you by country, you’ll find their Yellow Book reference guide, and smartphone apps like TravWell and Can I Eat This? You’ll also find information on how to find a travel clinic close to you that will prepare you for a trip and to give vaccines. They also handed out some great swag, including Zika prevention cards, wet wipes, magnets, pens and cord keepers.

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Special thanks to our friends at the CDC for providing us with important information, to the Hard Rock Cafe for hosting us, and to Trudy Dyer for taking photos of our event.


bwages_CEubanks_064-EditCaroline Eubanks is a freelance writer and travel blogger born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area. She spends most of her time road tripping around the South, drinking bottled Cokes and planning her next great adventure. Her work has been featured on AFAR.com, National Geographic Traveler’s Intelligent Travel Blog and US Airways Magazine. She was also named one of Southern Living’s 30 Southern Bloggers to Follow in 2015. 


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