Laurie Carmichael

Laurie Carmichael is a retired nurse and author of books for adults and children.

It has been a lifelong dream of hers to travel to Africa, after family trips to Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Visits to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, far from satiating her desire, lit an even bigger fire for her to see the real-life version of a safari.

But planning the trip and booking the tickets was just the beginning of her journey. Before she leaves, she’ ll have to ensure she’ s taken adequate precautions to protect her health before and during her trip. That means medication assessments, vaccinations, and education to make sure she can spend the trip focusing on her love of animals rather than worrying about her health. For Lina, it meant booking a consultation at a Calgary travel clinic.

Before You Leave

While Lina scheduled her consultation prior to the opening of ARTARx Calgary, the new pharmacy location does have a travel specialist on on staff: pharmacy manager Mike Song.“ For any travel, I usually recommend seeking advice at least a month before the trip,” he says.“ If possible, go even earlier, but a month is the bare minimum to be able to do a proper evaluation.”

Lina’ s consultation revealed she would be required to be immunized against yellow fever and would need to provide a Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis upon entry in Kenya.

“ During my appointment, my travel vaccine requirements were assessed,” she says.“ This included my age, medical history, prescription medications, and the type of travel. I learned that vaccines could vary depending on whether it is a leisure or resort-style trip or a backpacking excursion.”

Mike explains,“ As a travel pharmacist, I want to know the itinerary. Are you eating street food? Are you doing any high-risk activities? Are you going just by yourself or with a tour? The more information you can provide, the better.” Lina’ s trip is a twelve-day guided tour with visits to elephant orphanages and a giraffe centre, a driving tour to see the northern white rhinos, nights spent“ glamping,” and a walking safari on Crescent Island. While exciting, the level of risk of illness is much higher than a week on the beach!

Don ' t remember which vaccines you ' ve received or whether they ' re still effective? You can track your vaccine status using the MyHealthAlberta app.

30 | arta. net STAY HEALTHY