Timeless May 2020 | Page 25

• Diarrhea medicine (Imodium or Pepto-Bismol) • Antacid • Antihistamine • Motion sickness medicine • Cough drops, cough suppres- sant, or expectorant • Decongestant • Pain and fever medicine (acet- aminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen) • Mild laxative • Mild sedative or sleep aid Supplies to prevent illness or injury • Hand sanitizer (containing at least 60 percent alcohol) or antibac- terial hand wipes • Water purification tablets • Insect repellent (with an active ingredient like DEET or picaridin) • Sunscreen (with UVA and UVB protection, SPF 15 or higher) • Sunglasses and hat • Condoms • Earplugs First-aid kit • 1 percent hydrocortisone cream • Antibacterial or antifungal oint- ments • Digital thermometer • Oral rehydration salts • Antiseptic wound cleaner • Aloe gel for sunburns • Insect bite anti-itch gel or cream • Bandages www.meridianstar.com • Disposable gloves • Cotton swabs (Q-Tips) • Tweezers • Eye drops Documents • Copies of your passport and travel documents • Copies of all prescriptions (medications, glasses, or medical supplies) • Health insurance card and doc- uments • Proof of yellow fever vaccina- tion (if required for your trip) • Contact card with the street addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of: Family member or close contact in the United States • Health care provider(s) at home • Lodging at your destination • Hospitals or clinics (including emergency services) in your destina- tion • US embassy or consulate in the destination country or countries II. Pack enough medicine for your whole trip plus a little extra, just in case. III. Check with the U.S. foreign embassy of the country you will be visiting to make sure your prescrip- tion medicines are permitted at your destination. Know and share your trip informa- tion • Make sure you and a friend or family member have copies of all of your travel documents, including your passport, health insurance documents, itinerary, and prescriptions. • Register with the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (https://travel. state.gov/content/travel/en/inter- national-travel/before-you-go/step. html) • Write down the contact informa- tion of people or services you may need to contact while abroad. • Make arrangements to check in with someone at regular intervals during your trip. • If there is an emergency at home, or if a family member is worried about a traveler’s welfare, they can ask the embassy or consulate for help. • If you think you may need assis- tance, contact the local US embassy or consulate. They are available 24/7 with emergency assistance for US citi- zens. ◦ Dial 1-888-407-4747 if calling from the United States or Canada, ◦ Dial 00 1 202-501-4444 if calling from overseas, or ◦ Find your local US embassy, con- sulate or diplomatic mission. For more travel information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/ travel •25