Travel Medicine Resources for Healthcare Professionals

Introduction

In the rapidly evolving field of travel medicine, healthcare professionals are tasked with staying up to date on outbreaks, mass gatherings, natural disasters, and other international issues that impact travelers' health. Without access to current travel health information, training and education, networking events, and professional development opportunities, healthcare professionals cannot effectively advocate for their patients' health and safety during international travel.

This chapter provides an overview of travel health resources that are available to support healthcare professionals in providing care to travelers. CDC and the CDC Yellow Book team do not manage most of these resources; they are included in this list for informational purposes.

Travel medicine websites and resources

Surveillance

Healthcare professionals need up-to-date surveillance information on disease outbreaks and public health events. The following list includes surveillance systems used by healthcare professionals and researchers.

Emerging Infections Network

The Emerging Infections Network (EIN) is an online platform managed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). It brings infectious disease specialists and other healthcare professionals together to monitor and respond to emerging infectious diseases. Its members provide real-time data and clinical insights to monitor the spread of disease, detect outbreaks, and communicate public health information.

Epicore

EpiCore is a networking platform managed by Ending Pandemics, HealthMap, International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), and the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) that engages epidemiologists, healthcare professionals, and other experts to enhance disease surveillance and outbreak response. This platform aims to complement existing surveillance methods and speed up the process of finding, reporting, and verifying public health events worldwide.

Epidemic tracker

Epidemic Tracker is an online platform developed by Concentric by Ginkgo to monitor and track infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics around the world. This resource provides up-to-date locations, status, and statistics on outbreaks. Healthcare professionals can access data visualizations, interactive maps, and timelines to stay informed about outbreaks. Epidemic Tracker is a tool not only for healthcare professionals, but also for international travelers interested in staying up to date on global epidemics.

Geosentinel

GeoSentinel is a network of travel and tropical medicine sites worldwide and is a collaboration between the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) and the CDC Travelers' Health Branch. The network aims to reduce the transmission of infectious disease by collaborating with clinical and research experts worldwide to identify sentinel travel-related disease events.

Global Clinic Directory

The Global Clinic Directory is an online directory of ISTM members and their travel clinics around the world. Healthcare professionals can search for clinics offering pre-travel vaccination, yellow fever vaccine, post-travel medical consultations, and more.

Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network

The Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network (GIDEON) is an infectious disease and microbiology resource. Known for its extensive database, it offers detailed insights into infectious diseases, their geographical prevalence, and recommended preventive measures. It supports healthcare professionals with diagnosing diseases, identifying pathogens, and research.

Global TravEpiNet

Global TravEpiNet (GTEN) is a network of travel medicine clinics and professionals across the United States that collaborate to enhance pre-travel health services. GTEN contributes to the prevention of travel-related diseases and outbreaks, ensuring that travelers have access to up-to-date health guidance and vaccines before international travel. GTEN is a collaboration between Massachusetts General Hospital and CDC's Travelers' Health Branch.

HealthMap

HealthMap is an online platform developed by Boston Children's Hospital that provides real-time, global surveillance and tracking of infectious diseases. By aggregating data from news reports, government health agencies, and other sources, it offers interactive maps, data visualizations, and alerts. HealthMap supports healthcare professionals in monitoring the spread of disease, tracking outbreaks, and staying informed about travel health events worldwide.

Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases

The Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) is a subscription service managed by ISID to track emerging infectious diseases and outbreaks around the world. ProMED brings epidemiologists, healthcare professionals, and other experts together to submit and review reports on disease events. The reports are shared with public health officials, researchers, and others in the global health network. The goal of this resource is to issue notices about emerging infectious disease threats in a timely manner.

Shoreland Travax

Shoreland Travax is a clinical decision support tool for healthcare professionals providing patients with traveler-specific health and safety guidance. It offers destination-specific health information, disease risk assessments, map-based preventive recommendations, and a Report Builder, a feature allowing healthcare professionals to download curated travel health guidance for specific itineraries.

National travel health websites

National travel health websites can be used to find destination-specific health information, disease outbreak updates, real-time advisories, travel vaccine recommendations, and other travel health information. These websites are developed primarily for the citizens and residents of the local countries; however, other international travelers may find these national websites helpful. See Table 1.15.1 for a partial list of national travel health websites.

In the United States, the CDC Travelers' Health website provides international travelers and healthcare professionals with travel health information and resources. The website offers destination-specific public health advice, travel vaccine and medicine information, and Travel Health Notices.

CDC's Travel Health Notices are a section of the CDC Travelers' Health website focused on alerting international travelers, healthcare professionals, and others about global health risks during outbreaks, mass gatherings, natural disasters, and other events that may have an impact on the health of international travelers. Travel Health Notices are categorized by a 4-level system based on the nature of the threat and include risk communication messages based on the event's level.

Table 1.15.1: National travel health websites

Safety and security

To effectively counsel travelers on the safety risks of international travel, healthcare professionals need up-to-date, destination-specific information on safety and security. These resources are available to healthcare professionals and international travelers to help advise on safety and security risks (see Safety and Security Overseas chapter).

Overseas Security Advisory Council

The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and private-sector security interests to support the safe operations of U.S. interests overseas. OSAC provides country-specific reports, threat assessments, and other helpful information for mitigating risks in international settings. Compiling expert guidance, insights from private-sector organizations, academic institutions, and other government agencies, this resource enhances access to security information for international travelers and organizations.

U.S. Department of State travel advisories

The U.S. Department of State manages the Travel Advisories system, an official alert system providing travel-related information and safety recommendations for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. This resource focuses on addressing potential safety and security risks such as civil unrest and armed conflict in destinations around the world. The system uses a 4-level system to categorize risk, providing travelers with guidance on how to stay safe and make informed decisions about their international travel plans.

Travel vaccines and other travel medicine information

The field of travel medicine covers a range of topics, including global migration, infectious disease, travel vaccines, and more. These resources enable healthcare professionals to learn about specific travel medicine topics and prepare international travelers before their trips. Healthcare professionals can also review chapters in the CDC Yellow Book (see LGB+ Travelers, Humanitarian Aid Workers, and Severely Allergic Travelers chapters) for population-specific resources.

Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

The Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, commonly referred to as "CDC Pink Book", is a comprehensive resource text developed by the CDC. It provides information on vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccination guidelines, vaccine administration, and immunization schedules within the United States. It is an essential tool for healthcare professionals and other public health officials.

Positive Destinations

Positive Destinations is a comprehensive online database that provides up-to-date guidance and information to healthcare professionals and individuals living with HIV who plan to travel internationally. This database offers easy-to-access information on ­destination-specific entry requirements, travel restrictions, and regulations pertaining to persons living with HIV. The database empowers travelers living with HIV to prepare for and make informed decisions about their travel itineraries.

Heading Home Healthy

Heading Home Healthy is an online resource designed by Global TravEpiNet to disseminate travel health information to international travelers and healthcare professionals. It has a particular emphasis on preparation of expatriate travelers returning to their home countries to visit friends and relatives. The website offers web-tools, checklists, videos, and other health communication materials.

HIV-related travel restrictions

The HIV-Related Travel Restrictions website is developed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and provides information about international travel restrictions related to HIV infection. This website offers up-to-date travel restrictions, entry policies, and visa requirements for travelers living with HIV worldwide. The purpose of this website is to keep healthcare professionals, policymakers, and international travelers informed of travel-related regulations and to work toward reducing discriminatory practices and policies affecting travelers with HIV.

Immunize.org

Immunize.org is a web-based resource for practical, user-friendly immunization information for healthcare professionals. The resource aims to increase immunization rates and prevent disease through educational materials focused on the quality and safety of immunization services. The website maintains a repository of all U.S. federal Vaccine Information Statements in more than 45 languages.

International Narcotics Control Board

The International Narcotics Control Board manages a webpage called General Information for Travelers Carrying Medicines Containing Controlled Substances. This webpage provides international travelers with key information and regulations on transporting medications that contain controlled substances across international borders. For some restricted medications, it outlines the necessary steps that international travelers should take, and the documentation required.

Migration policy

Migration Policy is an online platform developed by the Migration Policy Institute focused on research, analysis, and policy discussions related to immigration and migration around the world. The website offers articles, data visualizations, interactive tools, and reports that provide the public with insights on migration trends, policies, and impact. This resource supports policymakers, researchers, journalists, healthcare professionals, and others seeking evidence-based information and analysis on immigration and migration policies and practices.

Travelers’ Rapid Health Information Portal

The Travelers' Rapid Health Information Portal (TRHIP) is an online portal designed by Global TravEpiNet and provides international travelers with quick access to important destination-specific travel health information from CDC in the form of a checklist.

Vaccine storage and handling toolkit

The Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit is a comprehensive guide for healthcare professionals, developed by CDC to communicate the best practices for vaccine storage and handling, from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendations, product information from vaccine manufacturers, and scientific studies.

World Health Organization immunization data

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains an online platform for accessing global immunization data. This resource provides a comprehensive list of countries and territories with available immunization data such as disease incidence, vaccination coverage rates, and other key immunization-related information. It supports healthcare professionals in tracking progress on global immunization efforts and evaluating the impact of vaccination programs.

WHO's list of prequalified vaccines

WHO maintains an online list of prequalified vaccines, which are vaccines that adhere to international quality and safety standards. This list includes vaccines that have been evaluated and approved by WHO for use in global immunization programs. The list shares information on vaccine manufacturers, product information, and regulatory status.

Professional development opportunities

Higher education programs in travel medicine

Healthcare professionals who are interested in obtaining higher education in travel medicine should reference the list of ASTMH-approved Diploma Courses. The list includes higher education institutions offering programs in travel medicine and details for enrollment.

Professional organizations

Professional organizations within the field of travel medicine offer healthcare professionals educational, networking, and research opportunities. See Table 1.15.2 for a list of professional organizations and their key meetings or conferences, journals, and educational opportunities.

In addition to these professional organizations, the International Society of Travel Medicine and the WHO offer lists of regional and national societies.

Table 1.15.2: Professional organizations and their key meetings, journals, and educational opportunities