Who shouldn’t travel?

As long as you take the proper precautions most people are okay to travel during the flu season. The exception is those who are particularly at risk of developing complications from contracting the flu. This includes children under five, pregnant women, adults over the age of 65 and those with chronic health conditions. The CDC recommends that these people try to postpone their travels if possible.

What precautions should I take?

The absolute most important thing that you can do to protect yourself from the flu is to wash your hands often with a good antibacterial soap. Sanitizing wipes are also a good idea. Use them to clean and sanitize anything that you must use that is used by the general public like table trays. Also try to avoid touching your eyes, your mouth or your nose with your hands as this would give a virus an easy entry point into your body. To protect others be sure to cough and sneeze into a disposable tissue.

Who is screening travelers?

As of the writing of this article the United States is not screening travelers for the flu. If this is a concern you should check with the countries where you will be traveling to see if they are screening. People have been detained in the past for showing signs of flu or for merely being on a plane where there was a suspicion of a flu case.

Emergency Medical Care

Perhaps the biggest benefit to a tourist is medical care. It will cover the cost of emergency medical care which can add up in a hurry. It many cases it can also cover the cost of transporting you to a care facility and even transporting you home if you need to stay in the hospital for an extended time.

Canceled Trip Insurance

Travel insurance can cover the costs of having to miss your trip or having to leave your trip early due to an unexpected illness of you or a close family member. This can include lost deposits, pre-paid transportation costs, etc.

Personal Liability Protection

If you injure someone or their property while on vacation travel insurance can cover your expenses. It can also cover your costs should you be involved in litigation while on your vacation.

Personal Property Protection

What happens if you lose your golf clubs or that special ring while on vacation? Well if you have travel insurance you will be reimbursed for it. It also covers lost or stolen cash.

These are merely a few of the benefits of travel insurance. For a full list of the advantages of being covered contact your insurance broker.