Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland
<strong>Introduction:</strong> Last-minute travelers (LMTs) are a vulnerable group, because it may not be possible to adequately vaccinate them against exposure to infectious diseases. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the characteristics of LMTs att...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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International Travel Medicine Center of Iran
2019-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijtmgh.com/article_99652_92c403be25bf1e72add0f42468abac71.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818490422801989632 |
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| author | Gerard Flaherty Muhammad Haziq Hasnol Lokman Hakim Sulaiman |
| author_facet | Gerard Flaherty Muhammad Haziq Hasnol Lokman Hakim Sulaiman |
| author_sort | Gerard Flaherty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <strong>Introduction:</strong> Last-minute travelers (LMTs) are a vulnerable group, because it may not be possible to adequately vaccinate them against exposure to infectious diseases. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the characteristics of LMTs attending a travel health clinic.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> The following data was extracted from records of travelers attending the Tropical Medical Bureau (Galway, Ireland) over a 6-year period with less than 2 weeks remaining before their departure: gender, age, occupation, destination(s), purpose of travel, departure date, travel duration, travel group size, accommodation, past medical history, medications, and vaccination history.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Of 7555 traveler records, 1296 (17.2%) were of LMTs, of whom 45 (3.5%) were recurrent LMTs. LMTs were equally likely to be male or female. The mean age of this cohort was 32.2 years. The most common travel destination was Asia, and holiday was the most frequent purpose of travel. The mean interval before departure was 7.54 ± 3.65 days, and the mean travel duration was 7.36 ± 2.3 weeks. The majority (n=454, 35.1%) of LMTs traveled in pairs. Approximately 2 in 5 (n=497, 38.4%) travelers reported a past medical history; over half (n=674, 52.0%) had previously received travel vaccinations. The majority (n=1202, 92.8%) of LMTs were unable to complete a scheduled course of pre-travel vaccines.<br /> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study provides insight into the characteristics and travel patterns of LMTs. A large proportion of LMTs have pre-existing medical conditions. Further research should focus on the travel health risk-taking behavior of these individuals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:16:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5979b4df3daf4b139338256572364e30 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-1100 2476-5759 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:16:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | International Travel Medicine Center of Iran |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-5979b4df3daf4b139338256572364e302022-12-22T01:40:06ZengInternational Travel Medicine Center of IranInternational Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health2322-11002476-57592019-12-017412312810.15171/ijtmgh.2019.2699652Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in IrelandGerard Flaherty0Muhammad Haziq Hasnol1Lokman Hakim Sulaiman2School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland|School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaSchool of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, IrelandInstitute for Research, Development and Innovation, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia|Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<strong>Introduction:</strong> Last-minute travelers (LMTs) are a vulnerable group, because it may not be possible to adequately vaccinate them against exposure to infectious diseases. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the characteristics of LMTs attending a travel health clinic.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> The following data was extracted from records of travelers attending the Tropical Medical Bureau (Galway, Ireland) over a 6-year period with less than 2 weeks remaining before their departure: gender, age, occupation, destination(s), purpose of travel, departure date, travel duration, travel group size, accommodation, past medical history, medications, and vaccination history.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Of 7555 traveler records, 1296 (17.2%) were of LMTs, of whom 45 (3.5%) were recurrent LMTs. LMTs were equally likely to be male or female. The mean age of this cohort was 32.2 years. The most common travel destination was Asia, and holiday was the most frequent purpose of travel. The mean interval before departure was 7.54 ± 3.65 days, and the mean travel duration was 7.36 ± 2.3 weeks. The majority (n=454, 35.1%) of LMTs traveled in pairs. Approximately 2 in 5 (n=497, 38.4%) travelers reported a past medical history; over half (n=674, 52.0%) had previously received travel vaccinations. The majority (n=1202, 92.8%) of LMTs were unable to complete a scheduled course of pre-travel vaccines.<br /> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study provides insight into the characteristics and travel patterns of LMTs. A large proportion of LMTs have pre-existing medical conditions. Further research should focus on the travel health risk-taking behavior of these individuals.http://www.ijtmgh.com/article_99652_92c403be25bf1e72add0f42468abac71.pdftraveltravel medicinevaccinationchronic illness |
| spellingShingle | Gerard Flaherty Muhammad Haziq Hasnol Lokman Hakim Sulaiman Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health travel travel medicine vaccination chronic illness |
| title | Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland |
| title_full | Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland |
| title_fullStr | Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland |
| title_short | Better Late Than Never - An Analysis of Last-Minute Travelers Attending a Specialist Travel Medicine Clinic in Ireland |
| title_sort | better late than never an analysis of last minute travelers attending a specialist travel medicine clinic in ireland |
| topic | travel travel medicine vaccination chronic illness |
| url | http://www.ijtmgh.com/article_99652_92c403be25bf1e72add0f42468abac71.pdf |
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