INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL CLINIC AT GRACE
COTTAGE
The Vermont Department of Health has designated Grace Cottage as
an International Travel Clinic. Overseen by Dr. Maurice Geurts,
who is trained in Tropical Medicine, the Clinic provides services
for anyone traveling abroad.
For example, let's say that you just learned that you have won
a trip to Kenya, and you'll be going on a Safari (wouldn't that
be nice!). Or, you'll be chaperoning a trip for high school students
to Guangdong Province, China. After applying for a passport, your
next step should be to make an appointment with an International
Travel Clinic, preferably at Grace Cottage. This is what will happen:
- You will meet with one of our physicians, who will consult with
you about your travel plans and review your medical history, in
order to determine immunization requirements and/or recommendations
for the country or countries you are visiting.
- The physician will administer immunizations, if required or
recommended.
- Your prescriptions and medications will be reviewed,
and recommendations regarding traveling with these items
will be made.
- The physician will counsel you on measures and precautions you
can take to help avoid contracting malaria, cholera, traveler's
diarrhea, and other travel-related illnesses.
- U.S. State Department travel advisories will be reviewed, along
with summaries of international health conditions which may affect
you.
- Information on medical supplies, water purification
devices, mosquito nets, and other supplies to help ensure
healthy travel will be available.
Dr. Geurts has many safety and health tips for those venturing abroad, including
suggestions about reducing the effect of jet lag and motion sickness.
His primary precautionary tip, however, is different than you might
imagine: "Be very careful when around automobiles. Statistically,
the primary cause of death for Americans traveling abroad, believe
it or not, is traffic accidents!"
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