JACKSON, Miss. – If you’re traveling internationally this summer, the Mississippi State Department of Health wants you to bring back souvenirs, not an infection. Follow these recommendations to keep you and your family safe:  

• Check your destination. Visit Travelers' Health to view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most up-to-date guidance before your trip. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare before you travel.
• Avoid mosquito and bug bites. In some areas, like Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, mosquitos can spread diseases such as malaria, zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Ticks can also transmit diseases, depending on the destination.
  • Use mosquito repellents that are Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. Don’t forget to protect your children and babies.
  • Keep mosquitos out of your hotel room. Choose one that has air conditioning or window screens.
  • Depending on your destination, you may need to sleep under mosquito netting if you will be sleeping outside or where window screens are not available.
  • Avoid ticks by staying away from wooded and brushy areas. Treat your clothing and check your body for ticks when leaving a potentially tick-infested area.
  • If traveling to an area where malaria is routinely transmitted, ask your doctor about starting a medication to prevent infection before you leave.
• Get vaccinated. Certain vaccinations are recommended or required for travel to some international destinations, including ones you may have already received or additional doses where specific diseases are spreading (such as measles in Europe and the Philippines or meningococcal disease in Saudi Arabia). These are some vaccines that may be recommended or required:
  • Hepatitis A
  • Measles, mumps, rubella
  • Meningococcal disease
  • Chickenpox
  • Typhoid fever
  • Yellow Fever (required in certain countries)
• Talk to your Doctor. Before you travel, talk to your doctor about when and where you are traveling, your planned activities while traveling, how long you may be gone, and health problems you may have. Be prepared and review the CDC's Traveler Advice.

Press Contact: MSDH Office of Communications, (601) 576-7667
Note to media: After hours or during emergencies, call (601) 576-7400