The Travel Doctor
Traveller's medical & vaccination centre
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Swine Flu Traps for Travellers
Wednesday, 24 June, 2009
Australia’s response to the “swine flu” pandemic has been to move to the PROTECT phase where medical efforts are now directed at protection and treatment of people in whom the disease could be severe. This recognises the facts that the illness in general is a mild although infectivity is high, and that major isolation tactics have not succeeded in stopping the spread of the infection. Other countries have remained in the “Contain” phase which poses a potential problem for international travellers. For example Venezuela has quarantined a visiting cruise ship following an outbreak of swine flu on board. In Shanghai 80 airline passengers have been under compulsory quarantine in a Chinese hotel and have had their passports confiscated because of a suspected swine flu case on their flight from Australia. In South Korea members of Australia’s under-21 lacrosse team were locked in their hotel rooms this week because of swine flu concerns. The United Arab Emirates are employing another tactic by arranging for Emirate students abroad to be screened where they are studying before returning home for term holidays. The use of Tamiflu to prevent swine flu has been advocated but is only properly indicated where there is a major underlying medical condition, and in any case does not protect the traveller from being quarantined when someone else on the plane or ship has been identified with the disease! All one can do until other countries move into the “Protect” phase is to factor in such possible delays when arranging overseas business (or pleasure) trips.
