Traveling with health in mind

The travel clinic at Wardenburg Health Center can help you pack for your health.

Wardenburg Health Center is now offering a Travel Clinic to help students prepare for studying abroad and traveling for the holiday season.

When they arrive at the health center, the medical staff first complete an itinerary of specific travel recommendations for the student. They take into account the destination, housing accomadations, and what activities the student will be participating in throughout their visit, such as scuba diving or hiking.

"The advice we give to students going to Camaroon will be a lot different than the recommendations we give to someone going to Germany because the health care in these places are very different," said Amy Robillard, Wardenburg RN.

Students also get advice on what immunizations they will need and the risks that they may face while traveling.

"I think one of the biggest risks that students face is traffic accidents, so we like to educate them about wearing seat belts and other vehicle safety," said Robillard.

For Michelle Hurst, a patient, the travel clinic seemed to be very accessible and helpful before she embarked on her trip to Madrid, Spain.
"As far as recommendations for immunizations, they weren't telling me too many or anything like that. My parents are definitely happy," said Hurst.

This year, amid fear of the H1N1 virus, the travel clinic is stressing that students need to be diligent about one particular aspect of travel.

"People need to be really obsessed about washing their hands. Planes are incubators for viruses, especially respiratory viruses," said Robillard.

Students can log on to colorado.edu/healthcenter or call 303-492-5432 to schedule an appointment for the travel clinic.

Travel Clinic Hours:
• M-Th : 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
• F: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.