Article sourced from Traveldailynews.com
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

According to the results of a new poll released by Orbitz Worldwide and Walgreens, 25 percent of the holiday travellers surveyed have had their travel plans interrupted by unexpected illness. With millions of travellers expected to travel this holiday season, it is a good idea to take note of precautionary measures one can take to minimize any possible illness.

The poll shows results from 1,000 consumers, and included questions related to the importance of preventive health measures, such as flu shots, to travellers.

Survey highlights include:

• Nearly two-thirds of all respondents (59 percent) feel travel isn’t a factor in impacting their health, however the remaining 41 percent believe that it does increase their chances of getting sick.
• The most common preventive measure people take to stay healthy while travelling over the holidays is to wash hands frequently and/or use sanitizers (58 percent). Getting a flu shot is second most common, with 29 percent who say they get one as a practice. Not over-eating was the least common response.
• Of travellers surveyed who haven’t received a flu shot, 52 percent said they don’t believe they’re effective and 26 percent said they’re afraid it may actually give them the flu. Note: According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health authorities, a person cannot get the flu from an injectable flu shot.
• Conversely, of the respondents that have gotten or plan to get a flu shot this season, 75 percent said their primary reason for doing so was as a “general precaution during the colder fall and winter months.” Nearly 15 percent got a flu shot because they are travelling over the holidays or they have children at home.
• The survey found that of respondents with health insurance, 61 percent said that flu shots are covered as a benefit under their insurance plan. Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) said they don’t know whether flu shots are covered.

The following measures are suggested for travellers to stay healthy through their holiday:

• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Wash hands frequently using soap and water or an alcohol-based rub
• Don’t touch your eyes, hands or mouth when hands haven’t been washed
• Get enough sleep – Annals of Medicine studies show those who get fewer than seven hours of sleep are three times more likely to develop a cold when exposed to the virus
• Eat right and exercise regularly.