The Special Traveller: The Business Traveller

What are the concerns?

• Business travelers usually travel alone. There is increased risk of criminal activity against them and so they should take measures to minimize this.
• The impact of an illness, such as Traveler’s Diarrhea, may be greater on a short business trip where each and every day is very valuable. Dukoral® vaccine will provide you with protection against Traveler’s Diarrhea. Prophylactic and treatment antibiotics can also be considered for the business traveler who absolutely cannot allow themselves to get sick while they are away.
• Totally avoid unprotected sex while you are away. Use condoms if you must be sexually active abroad!
• Jet lag can be a major problem for the business traveler. See our page on jet lag for tips on managing this problem.
• If you are a frequent traveler, consider investing in a pair of compression stockings to minimize the risk of blood clots (DVT) developing in the legs during flights.
• Alcohol frequently gets people into trouble while they are abroad. Try to avoid it or at least keep it to a minimum.
• Business travelers usually travel alone. There is increased risk of criminal activity against them and so they should take measures to minimize this.

Tiredness and jet lag may affect your business efficiency. Rest before and after travel is important. Persons with occupations which involve frequent travelling should consider vaccinating in anticipation of overseas assignments in order that the vaccinations achieve optimum protection, e.g. a first yellow fever vaccination certificate is not valid for 10 days.

Contaminated food and water is a major cause of illness in business travelers although less so if eating and drinking is confined to first class hotels. Avoiding unsafe food and water can sometimes be difficult when being entertained by enthusiastic hosts, unless a strategy is planned in advance!

It may be wise to always carry an anti-diarrhoeal preparation to make sure that you are able to attend important business meetings or to help you make long journeys without having to make frequent and inconvenient use of the toilet.

Unfamiliar surroundings, especially when combined with excessive alcohol consumption can lead to uncharacteristic behaviour including sexual risk taking.

"Unsafe" sex, particularly with commercial sex workers, may pose serious infection risks including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Business travelers will need a thorough medical assessment prior to travel. The assessment should include the following:

• A review of destination specific risks
• The season or time of the year of travel
• The duration of travel
• The activities the business traveler will engage in.
• The type of accommodations
• The health status of the business traveler
• The need for Malaria prophylaxis
• Access to quality medical care at the destination
• The need for Tuberculosis surveillance (TB skin tests)

It is the employer’s responsibility to provide their employee with a safe workplace. In far off countries, this responsibility extends to protective immunization and medications. International travel has health risks. Your employees cannot perform if they fall sick.

We can organize everything you need to keep your employees feeling their best, no matter where they work in the world.  We have experience working with a wide range of industry sectors, from engineering and building to I.T and health charities.  We can put the right package of care together for your employees.

We can save your business time by offering a one stop travel health service for everything from advice and vaccines to supplies.

We offer a range of services including:

1. Pre-travel risk assessment
2. Country specific information and advice
3. Vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis
4. Pre-travel occupational health medicals
5. Post-travel screening and check-ups
6. Short notice evening/weekend appointments