Plan for Progress  

The Center for Disease Control is a United States federal agency based in Atlanta, Georgia that functions as an independent non-profit organization. It was formed by the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health and safety of citizens who move in and out of the country. This organization was first formed in 1942 subsequent to World War II as the Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities. It is now used as a channel to inform persons and help them to make the right choices in regards to their health. The aim of the organization is to apply health precautions and control measures to protect individuals from environmental ailments like infectious diseases.

Persons should try and consult the CDC before going to a foreign countries, this will notify you about any possible disease outbreaks that may be having an impact on a country. Some of the more well known ailments include Swine Flu, Malaria, Typhoid, Hepatitis B. Apart from environmental health threats, the organization also seek to educated persons on chronic diseases, injury control, disabilities, terrorism preparedness, workplace hazards. CDC is now also combats emerging diseases including birth defects, West Nile virus, obesity, avian, swine, and pandemic flu, E. coli, auto wrecks, and bioterrorism, to name a few.

The CDC would then provide information to travelers about the measures they need to take for safeguarding themselves against these ailemts when going across certain borders. The CDC have create spin off centers that individuals can go to to get information. The CDC also offers a website you can go to for information, there you can get general advice for protecting your health while you are travelling. You can also get advice on the required vaccinations for travelling to certain countries. Individuals should make certain that they recheck their immunization information to see that they are up to date.

Persons who travel and are affected by certain ailments should travel with all their prescribed drugs along with them. Persons who have particular ailments like asthma, a lot of times require their medication to survive in case they get an attack, so it is very important that they travel with it. Before you visit a country take some time to research the area. This can be done by searching through newspapers or news on the internet, they may provide information you need to know about what goes on in that region, healthwise. You may also get in contact with the American Embassy for more information.

Sometimes the CDC provides alerts and recommendations for certain countries. For example there have been instances that the CDC have asked persons to suspend their visits to Mexico due to a possible outbreak of the Swine Flu, so persons were asked to refrain from visiting Mexico unless completely necessary|called for. The CDC recommends that after individuals return from a visit they should monitor their health for at least seven days following your visit. There is usually an incubation period after exposure to a illness so persons should monitor themselves to see if there may have been signs you have overlooked.