On The Road To Health

Stay Up To Date

“You could ruin a business trip if a certain vaccination were required for entry into a country and you don’t have it,” says Martin. “More than 40 percent of the travelers going abroad don’t necessarily have all the vaccinations or the medications they need to be prepared for that trip.”

Martin also strongly recommends that frequent business travelers consider influenza vaccination, even if they’re not part of a high-risk group. “You’re around a lot of people, you’re shaking hands, you’re mixing with people,” says Martin. “If there’s influenza out there, you’re more likely to get exposed to it.”

The Web sites of both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization contain up-to-date information on travel vaccination recommendations, food and water safety, and what to do if you become ill or injured abroad. Travelers can select the region or the country they’re going to visit and they will see a list of health recommendations for that area. The sites also list any current disease outbreaks in that region.

Put a Smile on Your Face

Business travelers will never be able to plan for every potential mishap. Cancelled flights, lost luggage, or postponed meetings are simply part of frequent business travel. What you can control, however, is your reaction, thereby alleviating some of the negative effects stress can have on your body. Last fall, Johnson arrived in London, Benfield’s global headquarters, right on schedule. Her luggage arrived three days later, but she didn’t let the mishap get under her skin.

“It requires a little creative planning. I bought everything in London—from boots on up to a purse and a coat,” Johnson says. “It’s just your mental mindset. A lot of it is allowing or even expecting things to go wrong. I don’t know what’s going to go wrong. But I know something will be less than perfect.”