REVIEW HEALTH NEEDS BEFORE TRAVELING.

• Position: Brief Article

Whether you're headed for a safari in East Africa or Grandma's house in Wisconsin, following some simple guidelines can help ensure your health stays with you and follows you home. First and foremost, make sure your immunizations are up to date, suggests Eric L. Weiss, an assistant professor of surgery who directs the Stanford (Calif.) Travel Medicine Service at Stanford Hospital and Clinics.

Almost everyone should have a tetanus shot every 10 years, but most people are prompted to get this protection only after they have an accident. The prospect of travel can be a reminder to ask your caregiver if you're due for a tetanus booster, he explains. "If you're traveling to Oregon and step on a nail, you don't want to use your precious vacation time to find a doctor to give you a tetanus shot. And if you're covered by a managed care plan, it's probably cheaper and easier to receive your protection from your primary care physician before you leave." Other routine vaccines--which you need at home, too--include measles, polio, and probably hepatitis B and varicella.

"Of course, if you're traveling somewhere exotic, you'll want to find out from a travel medicine specialist what precautions you might need to take, such as immunization against yellow fever, a concern in many countries, or a rabies vaccine, useful if you're planning on getting close to wildlife. Bear in mind that newly developed rabies vaccines are painless, free of side effects, and will offer peace of mind against that rabid monkey in Borneo. But the vaccine is also expensive--about $100 per shot, and you need three."

Moreover, don't forget the insect repellent appropriate for your route and destination. You will need more repellent at a...