10 ways to avoid travel health mistakes

So how can we better protect our health when we travel? For answers, we turned to travel health expert Dr. Jay Keystone, currently Director of Medisys Travel Health Clinic, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and staff physician at the Centre for Travel and Tropical Medicine at the Toronto General Hospital.

Here's how to avoid the health mistakes many travellers make:

See an expert

Are you armed with the right information to stay healthy while you're away? Most people skip a crucial step in their trip planning: less than 15 per cent of travellers visit a travel health clinic, according to Dr. Keystone.

Why is this number troubling? Travel health is a specialized field of medicine, and these doctors have more detailed knowledge than a family doctor or pharmacy. Travel health experts can provide country-specific information such as what threats you're likely to face, what to expect when you get there and which immunizations and preventative medications you need.

In addition, doctors can make recommendations based on a personal risk assessment, including factors like your age and medical history. "One size fits all" recommendations may not apply -- for instance, the yellow fever vaccine may pose more of a danger to older travellers than the disease itself.

You may even save yourself some running around because clinics have vaccines, medications and travel health supplies on hand.

Go early

You've decided to see an expert -- but don't wait until the last minute or you risk not getting the preventatives you need. Some vaccines require multiple doses administered over a period of weeks in order to obtain the full effect.

How soon should you go? Many travel health sources recommend seeing a travel doctor at least 6-8 weeks before departure, but Dr. Keystone advises that older travellers should go at least two months beforehand.

"People over the age of 65 don't respond to vaccines the way that younger travellers do," he warns. "As a result, they need to get their shots earlier."