• Children
• Pregnant women
• Elderly people
• Disabled Individuals

It is a fact that most aircrafts these days are allowing people with special needs to travel abroad as this is one of their rights and privileges. Regular travellers are not giving treatments like what most plane crews do to travellers with special needs.

As parents of children who travel, an advance preparation for your children’s trip is really important. Make sure that your children have all the necessary stuff they need before travelling. They should be vaccinated to prepare themselves against infections. It is also the same thing with pregnant women, elder and disabled traveller.

For children travellers it would be great if parents or guarding will prepare books or toys during the travel course in case they get bored, they can find something they can enjoy with while traveling. Parents should also warn their children to keep away from contaminated food and water. Contamination might cause infection which can devastate the entire trip.

In addition, children’s skins are easily burn especially when it is directed to the heat of the sun, as advised parents should be responsible for this. As must as possible, allow your children to wear comfortable clothes that will guard their skin from irritations and infections.

• China
• Hong Kong
• Vietnam
• Singapore
• Taiwan
• Indonesia
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Canada
• Singapore

Travellers are advised to take extra precautions when going to the countries where SARS is very rampant. In fact on the 2^nd of April 2003, the Department of Health advised to be extra careful when traveling to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in Southern China as these are the places where SARS was originated. When travelling to the mentioned places make sure that you bring your insurance to cover your medical care.

Symptoms of SARS include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Respiratory symptoms such as:
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty in breathing

SARS virus transmits from an infected person to another if they have close contact. The paramyxo virus that causes SARS is the same virus that cause measles and mumps but recently determined as a member of the coronavirus family that is not seen in humans.

Tuberculosis is common all over the world than in the UK and usually affect the children especially those who haven’t previously vaccinated and had exposed to the disease. This type of illness can be acquired or developed in the following forms:

•  Inhaling droplets sprayed into the air from a cough or sneeze of an infected person
• Can also spread through  through infected sputum
• Or from a milk of infected cows
• Poor nutrition
• Poor sanitation
• Hereditary

Treatment for Tuberculosis  requires proper and religious medication. However this disease can also be prevented by doing the following:

• Avoiding overcrowded places in endemic areas
• Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk
• Obtain BCG vaccination

Legionella multiply its number in warm and stagnant water found in:

• Plumbing system
• Hot water tanks
• Cooling towers
• Evaporative condensers of large conditioning systems
• Whirlpool spas

A person may be infected by Legionnaires disease after an exposure to the mentioned sources of Legionella. It affects people of any age; however the most common victims are middle-aged and older people especially those who smoke cigarettes and have chronic lung diseases.

Symptoms of Legionnaires Disease

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness
• Occasional  diarrhea

The antibiotics that can treat Legionnaires Disease are Erythromycin and Rifampicin.

• Bluish colored on skin
• Watery nose
• Breathing issues like rapid breathing and stridor
• Chills
• Dry cough
• Fever
• Drooling
• Hoarseness
• Painful Swallowing
• Lesions on skin
• Sore throat

There are so many symptoms of Diphtheria but you have to also so remember that at times there are no symptoms at all.  It is another kind of airborne disease that affects millions of people especially those who are expose to the crowd and those who travel.

To keep away from Diphtheria, vaccination is advised by most health practitioner. In fact most individuals in the UK got their first dose during their childhood years together with DTP or diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis.

Flu is another term for influenza. It is one of the most contagious diseases in the society and has affected millions of people every year especially those who are travelling. Influenza virus attacks the respiratory tract of a person and once the infection is accumulated it leaves symptoms like:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion
• Tiredness
• Body aches
• Muscle weakness
• Headache

During winter season, flu is very common. So if you plan to travel during winter days, make sure that you’re body is ready to robust all kinds of germs and bacteria that might bring you illnesses like flue etc.

Influenza is an airborne disease and it transfer from one person to another. Similar to other diseases, influenza has treatment too which include:

• Taking antibiotic
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Taking enough rest
• Avoiding alcoholic drinks and smoking tobacco
• Taking medication

Cold is one of the most common respiratory tract infections, which can be acquired both at home and in open places. When you travel your inclination to catch colds is very high, as the presence of germs and bacteria in open places are great.

Some of the most common respiratory tract infections that travellers acquired include:

• Colds
• Cough
• Sore throats
• Influenza

As travellers you should keep in mind the importance of boosting your immune system so you wont acquires those respiratory tract infections mentioned. Taking a good rest, eating food that boost the immune system is really important. Also remember to take vitamins to enhance and regulate body processes.

In big airports disabled travellers usually receive assistance and good facilities however it’s not the some airports in Africa, Asia and South America.

Upon choosing an accommodation, make sure that good lifts are provided as well as reliable staircases, bathroom equipment and other travelling facilities. Also consider checking if special food requirements are essential.

To be at peace when travelling, make sure that you acquire comprehensive health insurance.

It’s quite hard to travel during pregnancy period however it is still possible these days. If you are pregnant and you wish to travel, here are the things that can help.

• Seeking medical check-up before travelling is very important for the safety and security of the mother and child.
• Illness during pregnancy is more likely to take place, thus it is recommended for pregnant travellers to avoid in-taking contaminated food and water.
• The majority of airline companies do not accept pregnant travellers conceiving more than 28-32 weeks.
• As pregnant traveller it is best to ensure that you’re done with your prenatal as ante-prenatal facilities are not available in some countries.
• For pregnant traveler, proper immunization is recommended to avoid minor and major trouble during the travel period.

Just like some other diseases, typhoid fever can also be cure through antibiotics. However, it might require medical supervision.  On the other hand, if you want to travel to some places where typhoid fever exists, what you needed the most is to perform two things like:

• Staying away from risky food and drinks as they might contain a typhi bacterium that causes typhoid fever.
• Obtain vaccinations against typhoid fever.

The two tips mentioned must be applied together in order to ensure safety travel as well as to avoid other illnesses such travelers’ diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A. keep in mind that prevention is better than cure.