Thanks to current travel flight affordability and availability now more than ever immigrants can maintain ties with their relatives abroad. By simply clicking a few buttons online anyone can hop on a commercial flight to reconnect with one’s original homeland, and first and second generation children are taking advantage of it. Only 12% of the US population is listed as foreign born, but 34% of Americans traveling internationally list Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFRs) as a reason for travel. In less than a 12 hour flight hordes of people are reconnecting with old friends and family in their or their parent’s country of origin.
Yet these types of travelers should be particularly mindful about their health while abroad, especially considering where their origins may lie. Immigration trends to the United States have changed in recent American history. New York City’s streets no longer feel the thud of the many Italian, Irish and German immigrants that poured in from Europe at the start of the 20th century. Immigration patterns have shifted to other countries over the past 30 years, with more individuals and families coming from Latin American, Asia and Southeast Asia than anywhere else. Alas, these areas are at particularly high risk for certain infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, hepatitis A and STDs. Knowing this all travelers should get the proper travel vaccination before taking off. Yet VFRs seem less likely than anyone to get vaccinations, and thus disproportionately contract contagious diseases while abroad. According to the Center for Disease Control, 66% of typhoid cases seen in the United States are brought over by travelers who were visiting friends and family, mostly in Latin America and South Asia. South Asia also exports 90% of the paratyphoid cases seen in the United States. The CDC found that in 2008, 65% of the malaria cases brought in by people traveling abroad came from VFRs. These types of travelers have been found to be 8 times more likely to contract malaria than any other type of tourist. A large handful of travelers have died of typhoid upon returning to the US after seeing their friends and family. Why does this happen?Much of it is explained by the pre-travel habits of people visiting their country of origin. Persons visiting friends and family tend to stay for longer periods of time in high risk areas for disease. Taking advantage of free room and board, they also tend to stay in homes instead of hotels. This directly exposes them to the local lifestyle that often implies lack of water and food precautions and mosquito repellent techniques such as bed nets, all habits that put travelers at risk for infection. People visiting their homeland also tend to dismiss health warnings from a travel doctor about the area, for they feel their heritage and connection with it gives them some kind of immunity. It is true, to an extent, that many peoples living within their country of origin do develop immunities to local diseases, but this does not mean that these immunities will stay intact after years of separation from that area. You live in an area long enough your body begins adapting to the new environment. Yet VFRs tend to largely forget about or not know about this.All VFRs should take advantage of available travel vaccinations NYC recommended for the country they wish to return to. People immigrate to the US in part due to its accessible health benefits, and immunizations are a major privilege available in this country. Visit this NYC travel clinic if you live in or nearby NYC. It is convenient, reasonably priced, and operates with a skilled, trustworthy staff of health professionals. When you visit you’ll benefit from one-on-one consultations with a board certified travel doctor that will carefully review your travel case and access your health needs before you go abroad.
Do not dismiss health warnings regarding your home country because you feel they do not apply to a “native.” Visit TravelClinicNY.com to learn more about how to protect yourself.
Yet these types of travelers should be particularly mindful about their health while abroad, especially considering where their origins may lie. Immigration trends to the United States have changed in recent American history. New York City’s streets no longer feel the thud of the many Italian, Irish and German immigrants that poured in from Europe at the start of the 20th century. Immigration patterns have shifted to other countries over the past 30 years, with more individuals and families coming from Latin American, Asia and Southeast Asia than anywhere else. Alas, these areas are at particularly high risk for certain infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, hepatitis A and STDs. Knowing this all travelers should get the proper travel vaccination before taking off. Yet VFRs seem less likely than anyone to get vaccinations, and thus disproportionately contract contagious diseases while abroad. According to the Center for Disease Control, 66% of typhoid cases seen in the United States are brought over by travelers who were visiting friends and family, mostly in Latin America and South Asia. South Asia also exports 90% of the paratyphoid cases seen in the United States. The CDC found that in 2008, 65% of the malaria cases brought in by people traveling abroad came from VFRs. These types of travelers have been found to be 8 times more likely to contract malaria than any other type of tourist. A large handful of travelers have died of typhoid upon returning to the US after seeing their friends and family. Why does this happen?Much of it is explained by the pre-travel habits of people visiting their country of origin. Persons visiting friends and family tend to stay for longer periods of time in high risk areas for disease. Taking advantage of free room and board, they also tend to stay in homes instead of hotels. This directly exposes them to the local lifestyle that often implies lack of water and food precautions and mosquito repellent techniques such as bed nets, all habits that put travelers at risk for infection. People visiting their homeland also tend to dismiss health warnings from a travel doctor about the area, for they feel their heritage and connection with it gives them some kind of immunity. It is true, to an extent, that many peoples living within their country of origin do develop immunities to local diseases, but this does not mean that these immunities will stay intact after years of separation from that area. You live in an area long enough your body begins adapting to the new environment. Yet VFRs tend to largely forget about or not know about this.All VFRs should take advantage of available travel vaccinations NYC recommended for the country they wish to return to. People immigrate to the US in part due to its accessible health benefits, and immunizations are a major privilege available in this country. Visit this NYC travel clinic if you live in or nearby NYC. It is convenient, reasonably priced, and operates with a skilled, trustworthy staff of health professionals. When you visit you’ll benefit from one-on-one consultations with a board certified travel doctor that will carefully review your travel case and access your health needs before you go abroad.
Do not dismiss health warnings regarding your home country because you feel they do not apply to a “native.” Visit TravelClinicNY.com to learn more about how to protect yourself.
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