HEALTHY FAMILY
How To Keep Your
Family Healthy
While Traveling
Expert advice from doctors, including how
they keep their own families safe on the go
BY HEATHER M. ROSS
W Know the Risks
Both Roy and Plotnick say the most
important place for families to start when
preparing for travel is with the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), where they can
find an up-to-date guide for travel concerns
and what vaccinations are recommended
online before traveling to their destination.

Plotnick recommends all new vaccines be
applied at least one month before travel so
that they will have time to take full effect.

Avoid Common Travel Pitfalls
Once you know whether or not it’s safe to
travel, you can make preparations to ensure
you are aware of—and can avoid—these
common travel pitfalls.

Jetlag Jetlag happens when our bodies are out of
sync with the time zone we’re going to, Roy
says. This usually happens when traveling
to a time zone with a difference of two or
more hours from the one you’re used to. Roy
says jetlag can leave people feeling tired and
discombobulated—and children are just as
susceptible to jetlag as adults.

To avoid jetlag, Roy advises getting plenty
of rest before travel, staying well hydrated
before and after your traveling, avoiding
alcoholic beverages on the plane and get-
ting plenty of sunlight once you reach your
destination. 24 Washington FAMILY MAY 2023
Infectious Illnesses
Getting sick is always a concern in a fam-
ily. It seems like once one kid catches a cold,
it’s just a matter of time before it spreads to
the rest of the house. On vacation, the risk
of catching a bug increases because of the
stress travel places on our immune systems
and because of the increase of high-traffic
areas little hands just can’t stay away from.

As a mother of three herself, Plotnick
understands the struggle to keep everyone
on board with disease prevention. She rec-
ommends explaining the process, especially
when traveling with very young children.

Everyone should remember to wash their
hands frequently, especially after touch-
ing high-contact surfaces like railings, door
handles and light switches. In addition to
handwashing, it can be a good idea to bring
along disinfectant wipes to sanitize hotel
spaces, hand sanitizer for dining out and
masks for close quarters.

Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends on
its website that people use antibacterial hand
wipes or alcohol-based hand cleaners that
contain 60% alcohol or more.

Food Safety
Nobody books a ticket just to see the
inside of a bathroom stall. Taking care of
your digestive health can be the differ-
ence between a relaxing day at the beach
and a frantic search for the next restroom.

RIDOFRANZ / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
ith summer break on the horizon, families will no doubt be thinking about
planning their vacations. But how can they make sure everyone gets there and
back in one piece?
We asked Dr. Joydip Roy, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic
(covering Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) and Dr. Rachel Plotnick,
a pediatrician of 17 years at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Pediatric Group, for tips
on staying healthy in the air, over the sea and on the road.