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health & safety
Table
of Contents |
|
| Personal Assessment | Safety |
| Research, Consultation & Prevention | Emergency Contact Info |
| Insurance | |
Traveling, living and studying in India are exciting but can be emotionally and sometimes physically challenging. While personal health and safety is unpredictable, taking the preparatory steps can greatly increase the chances of a healthy and safe study abroad experience.
Your health will be a major concern as you plan for your trip abroad. We have provided an overview to help you prepare for your trip.
Personal Assessment
Understand your physical and emotional health needs well in advance. You should clearly communicate all your allergies, illnesses, psychological treatments, disabilities, dietary needs, and any other medical needs so that we can work to accommodate you. Please note that certain medical needs and disabilities cannot be accommodated as the technology and infrastructure of India may not be able to support it.
Research, Consultation and Prevention
The more you know about your environment and all the dos and don'ts, the better the chances of staying healthy. You should consult various sources such as your family physician, campus health services, local and national health organizations. Some important questions to ask are:
- What are the illnesses common to the region?
- What medications should I take to prevent them?
- What type of insurance will I need?
- What should and shouldn't I eat and drink?
- And more.
First: Review the main resources for regional health issues. We highly recommend visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website as well as MD Travel Health's website for the basic details on regional illnesses and standard immunizations prior to travel.
Second: Consult your physician. He/she will be your main resource for prevention and guidance on many health-related issues and will be able to provide you with immunizations. The standard immunizations for India include:
Disease |
Notes |
|---|---|
Hepatitis A |
Recommended for all travelers |
Typhoid |
Recommended for all travelers |
Polio |
One-time booster recommended for any adult traveler who completed the childhood series but never had polio vaccine as an adult |
Yellow fever |
Required for all travelers arriving from or transiting through a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas . Not recommended otherwise. |
Japanese encephalitis |
For long-term (>1 month) travelers to rural areas or travelers who may engage in extensive unprotected outdoor activities in rural areas, especially after dusk |
Hepatitis B |
For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months |
Rabies |
For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care |
Routine immunizations |
All travelers should be up-to-date on tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, and varicella immunizations |
Remember that you will need to take these at least 4-8 weeks prior to departure for the shots to take effect.
In addition, get a routine check-up to ensure you are aware of your physical situation before leaving for India . Make sure you carry sufficient amounts of updated prescription medication before you leave. Your particular prescription medication may not be available abroad. Also, having them mailed will not only take weeks to arrive, Customs regulations for mail are highly scrutinized and may delay or prevent the medication from arriving. Be sure to keep your medications in their original containers. Keep copies of your relevant medical records and prescriptions as they may be requested during the Customs arrival check.
Insurance
We recommend the following two popular student travel insurance providers:
- STA Travel Insurance
- International Student Insurance and Study Abroad Research Center
- Travel Protectors
You should be covered for travel, medical, baggage, and travel accident protection in addition to emergency assistance services.
Safety
Most of your safety concerns will be addressed by exercising common sense, remaining alert and staying abreast of varying safety issues by reviewing the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs website ( http://travel.state.gov ) for the latest international safety advisories.
In addition, during pre-departure and arrival orientation, our study abroad staff will be there to ensure you are fully knowledgeable of all safety and health-related issues.
Obviously, no one can provide 100% assurance on health and safety matters abroad or in the US. However, you can greatly decrease the risks by following the guidelines noted above and keeping in close touch with our study abroad staff to make your journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
Emergency Contact Information
All enrolled students will be provided with an information packet with all relevant details such as local emergency contacts (e.g., police stations, hospitals and medical centers, etc.) as well as emergency contact info (e.g., cell phone numbers) of the IISAC staff in the US.