When your child wakes up in the middle of the night with a fever, crying, and covered in sweat, normally you would call your doctor or take him to AllKid’s Pediatric Urgent Care. But what do you do if you’re in a hotel room in Orlando or halfway across the world in Europe? To keep you from ending your vacation early and ensure you’re prepared for this summer’s travel season, here are some important tips on what to do when your child gets sick on vacation.
Be Prepared
Before you take a trip, make sure you’re prepared in the following ways:
Keep a first aid kit stocked with common household ointments, bandages, and medications somewhere easily accessible at all times. Keep it in the car, your suitcase, or in your backpack.
Find a local drug store you could purchase more supplies from if you run out.
Keep your insurance card and policy information on you wherever you travel.
Talk to your insurance provider about their out-of-network policies. Ask about fees for visits to the emergency room or urgent care facilities. Find a Pediatric Urgent Care location close to your travel destination and create a plan to get there in case of emergency.
Stay updated on national disease outbreaks and health and safety precautions by checking the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website throughout your trip.
Before you take a trip, ask your doctor for an extra dose of any regular prescriptions so you don’t run out while you’re away!
Traveling can introduce new substances to your child’s developing immune system and trigger an allergic reaction to foreign particles such as certain foods, plants, insect bites or stings, and more. To minimize the danger of transferring germs and allergens to your child, don’t share drinks, food, utensils, or napkins with each other while on vacation. Take extra precautions to sanitize your hands and keep things clean.
Also, dehydration can cause cracks to form in the skin and lips, creating space for germs to penetrate a child’s immune system. Ensure that you keep both sick and healthy kids hydrated for their protection. Drinks that are high in electrolytes (such as PediaSure) will also help your kids recover more quickly.
Next Steps
In the unfortunate event your child does get sick over summer vacation, make sure you give them extra comfort. For a kid, feeling terrible in an unfamiliar place can make the experience far more stressful and traumatic than if the child were at home. Let your son or daughter know you are there to take care of them.
Pediatric Urgent Care clinics are your best option for receiving immediate care, and they are less expensive than a trip to the ER. Have family visiting Arizona this summer? Send them to AllKids Urgent Care for care you can trust. Click here for more information on our insurance policies, or call us with your questions today!
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