Salty fragrance of the sea, warm touch of beach sand and a gentle coastal breeze — Atlanta travelers, it’s spring break season once again. From measles to the flu, Georgia’s spring breakers will need to travel safely this year to avoid getting sick.
Starting with some pretravel advice and ending with some mid-vacation recommendations, here are some top tips for staying healthy during spring break 2025.
Vaccinate before you travel
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spring break travelers should consider taking some health-related precautions before hitting the road.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Visitors should make an appointment with their health care providers up to six weeks before traveling. The CDC said health care providers can narrow down what destination-specific vaccines, medications and useful health information patients might need ahead of a big vacation.
The CDC also offers a webpage full of destination-specific vaccine information at cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list. The organization advises travelers to stay up to date on their routine vaccinations, including for measles.
What to pack for spring break
Swim trunks and sunscreen have their place, but the CDC recommends spring break travelers pack a health kit, too. The specific contents can change depending on the destination and the traveler’s medical conditions. To come up with a precise list of useful items, it recommends travelers check in with their health care providers.
The CDC also provides a general list of useful items for travel health kits, which can be found below:
- Antacid
- Antibiotics, if prescribed by your health care professional
- Antihistamine
- Antimalarial medicines, if prescribed by your health care professional
- Antivirals, if prescribed by your health care professional
- Cough drops, cough suppressant or expectorant
- Decongestant
- Imodium, or some other diarrhea medicine
- Mild laxative
- Motion sickness medicine
- Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or some other pain/fever medicine
- Prescriptions, preferably in their original bottle
- Mild sedative or sleep aid
- Condoms
- Diabetes testing supplies
- Disease-specific rapid tests
- Earplugs
- First-aid kit
- Glasses, contact lenses, contact lens solution and hydrating eye drops
- Hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) or antibacterial hand wipes
- High-quality masks
- Insect repellent (with an active ingredient like DEET or picaridin)
- Medical alert bracelet or necklace
- Sunglasses and hat
- Sunscreen (with UVA and UVB protection, SPF 15 or higher)
- Water purification tablets or filter
How to not get sick during spring break
Consulted by a health care provider, vaccinated and health kit in hand, your preparations are over. Once on the beach, however, spring break travelers will want to practice good hygiene to ensure all that hard work did not go to waste.
According to the CDC, washing your hands with soap and water (or hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol) is a top tip for staying healthy during spring break. Germs can build up on your hands and spread with every touch, potentially leading to diseases.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
When you cannot wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with tissue or your sleeve. Never use your hands.
Also use insect repellent as directed, because bug bites can spread diseases — especially from mosquitoes and ticks. The CDC said effective repellent has one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
Beachgoers should apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) before insect repellent, which should only be applied after the sunscreen has dried.
Lastly, it’s important to pay attention to what you eat. The most common travel-related illness is traveler’s diarrhea. Mexico, a popular spring break destination, is considered one of the world’s highest-risk areas. To avoid the illness, the CDC recommends travelers wash their hands regularly and only eat foods cooked thoroughly and served hot. They should also avoid buffets and only eat raw fruits and vegetables that have been washed.
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