Hand washing 5 Easy Steps May Prevent Flu or Travel Illness (kids)

Fight the Flu Virus with these 5 Hand washing steps. My son came down the hall with a red bandana on his head waving a plastic sword. “Aarrggh!” he shouted. “Would you play pirates with me mom?” As I picked up a broom to use the handle as my sword for the pirates duel, it made me think about how parents must protect their children during flu season like pirates protect their treasure. When Fighting the Flu or Influenza Virus this season here are some easy tips protect your family and what to do if you or someone in your family does get the Flu or the Influenza A H1N1, Influenza A H3N2, this season. The CDC , Center for Disease Control, has characterized 61 influenza viruses [nine 2009 influenza A (H1N1), 42 influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and 10 influenza B viruses] collected by U.S. laboratories since October 1, 2011. Courtesy of the CDC. The first step in protecting your family is hand washing. Hand washing is THE best way to prevent the spread of viruses. Considering what children touch during the day, teach them the steps to thorough hand washing. They can continue to use this technique even when they are at school. Teach your family members the 5 steps to good hand washing; First : Turn on the water and wet your hands, front and back. Make the water as hot as possible, being careful not too hot for young hands. Second: Soap your hands making a spider shape with your fingers intertwining each other. This allows the soap to cover all surfaces of the hands. Third: Scrub the soap on your hands for at least 20-30 seconds. The nature of germs is that they are sticky. Soap creates a slippery surface, the scrubbing loosens the sticky germs. Twenty seconds may seem like a long time for a child. During those twenty seconds, encourage the singing of “Happy Birthday” or another Nursery Rhyme. Once the 20 seconds is up, complete the 4th and 5th steps. Fourth: rinse off the soap pointing fingers down to the bottom of the sink. Remind your child not to touch the sides or bottom of the sink. Fifth: With the water still running, the last step is the" two towel step." Dry your hands with a paper towel. Throw the paper towel in the trash. Next, grab a second paper towel and turn off the running water with the dry towel. Toss the second paper towel in the trash. Turning the water off with a clean paper towel will further decrease the spread of germs. When soap and water is not readily available, give your child liquid hand sanitizer to use at school. The liquid hand sanitizer never replaces good hand washing, but can kill germs in between hand washing. Having clean hands and clean surfaces around the home decreases the spread of germs. Buy a disinfectant spray that states it will kill Influenza germs. Spray surfaces around your home that your family frequently touches ; the door knobs, the refrigerator door handle, sinks and kitchen counter tops and toys. Keeping the home, or "pirate ship" disinfected may help the family to stay afloat on the high seas of health, keeping your pirates at their posts like school or work. Disinfectant spray may not protect you from getting the flu, but it may help prevent the flu in your home this season. “ Gotcha’ Mom!” my son shouted as he jabbed his red plastic sword between my arm and my side. We flopped down on the couch laughing. The steps outlined are like sword of prevention from the Flu Virus, steps to protect our little treasures.

Quick Tips for Traveling With Your Prescription Medication

A traveler going abroad with a preexisting medical problem should carry a letter from the attending physician, describing the medical condition and any prescription medications. Any medications being carried overseas should be left in their original containers and be clearly labeled.

The original prescription bottle with label should include;

A. Name of patient, either yourself of whomever you are traveling with.
B. Prescribing physicians name and contact phone information
C. Pharmacy filling prescription
D. Directions for medication
E. Quantity of full prescription
F. Generic name of medication


Some Foreign countries require documentation from your doctor for prescriptions that are controlled substances or class C prescriptions, in the U. S.

Examples of a class C prescription are pain medicine, such as Percocet or Codeine and anti anxiety medication,such as Ativan or Valium. Examples like these medications MAY or MAY NOT be considered illegal narcotics in a foreign country.

The United States Government as well as most other major countries governments have
resources or websites for travel tips.

This link for travel tips from the U.S. State Department.



List of Foreign Consulate to contact before travel with prescription medications. Travelers should check with the foreign embassy of the country they are visiting to make sure any required medications are not considered to be illegal narcotics.



One way to identify if your medication prescription is a controlled substance;

Ask yourself this question; Do I have to go to the pharmacy with a new prescription each time I get this medication filled?

If your prescription has refills listed in the bottom right hand corner of the prescription bottle, your medication is probably not a controlled medication. If you are still not sure, check with the prescribing doctor or pharmacist.

Remember to carry this documentation with you.


Healthy Travels,

Nurse G

3 Easy Steps to signing up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

The U.S. State Department has created as part of their travel safe and healthy website a program called Smart Traveler Enrollment Program or STEP.
I would have called it the Smart Traveler Emergency Program. Because the purpose of the program is to assist U.S. Citizens caught in a disaster or emergency situation abroad. It is a bit tricky to register so I will share with you my experience.

This program is for short term international travel or for U.S. Citizens taking up residence in a foreign country, which is pretty cool.

This is the registration link;



Keep these number handy when traveling;

CONTACT OVERSEAS CITIZENS SERVICES:
From within the U.S. 1-888-407-4747
From outside the U.S. 1-202-501-4444

To register for the STEP program, click on the link above.
The trick is to register about a week at the most two weeks before your departure date.
Information of your travel will then stay fresh in the mind of the STEP computer program. I make that suggestion because I found it easier to organize my list of pre- travel reminders that way.

To give feedback on this program contact- CAIBRS@state.gov. Don't contact me about this, there is not really much I can do, except voice my opinion by blogging.

Create an account and password, the usual stuff.

Site has a template for sending travel groups information in to the STEP program.
Next register your travel information. Here is a list of information you will need;

Itinerary, including:
Destination country
Arrival dates
Departure dates
purpose of travel
Personal Contact information.
Closest US Embassy to destination country.

Link to a list of U.S. Embassies World Wide.


Then register your personal information

What I did not see on the registration is an " Emergency contact" number or next of Kin or anything like that. So keep your cell phones charged up when traveling. I am unsettled by lack of a loved ones emergency contact information.

Healthy and safe travels,

Nurse G

UPDATED: 6 Tips for Healthy Travel

Travel Healthy with these 6 travel tips:

My first post was me making a transition from Wordpress back to blogger.
I fixed the spacing and I am so glad you came back to read this post.

Just for being a good sport about my being human and all, I have added an additional two travel tips for you. So this article is 8 tips for the price of 6!

I love a good deal- don't you?

1. Carry an updated copy your travel immunization records and leave a copy at home with a loved one. Iphone apps are available for storing your medical information or you can store a copy of your travel immunizations on a USB drive.

2. Check with your medical insurance company and check travel health coverage. More than likely, they offer little or no coverage for travel out side of the United States.

3. Travel Medical Insurance is a MUST. It is not the same as your medical insurance.I have heard more than one story in this past week about travelers using their travel medical insurance.

4. If your flight is over 5 hours, be aware there is a risk for DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or blood clot in the leg, which could easily travel to the lungs and cause major medical problems, or death.

You may be at risk for a blood clot especially with the following;

A. Recent surgery.
B. Been diagnosed with DVT in the past.
C. Blood clotting problems.
D. A smoker

If you are at risk be sure to take frequent stretch/ walking brakes on the plane and at the airport. Talk to your doctor about additional precautions to take before and during travel.

5. If you happen to become sick during travel, you can contact the local US Embassy or Consulate if you need further assistance. The number is 1-888-407-4747 if calling from the U.S. or Canada.

6. Pack a Travel Health Kit. If you don't have time to pack a kit or find the cost of purchasing separate bottles of medication daunting. We offer My Travel Health Kit® which includes all of the following items.

A travel health kit needs to include the following over-the-counter medical and prevention items;
A. Pain relief
B. Motion sickness
C. Anti-Acids
D. Bandaids
E. Aspirin
F. Sun Screen
G. Insect Repellant
H. Travelers Diarrhea relief
I. Sleeping Aid
J. Sinus tabs
K. Cold medicine
L. Cough drops
M. Allergy relief
N. lip balm
O. Antibiotic ointment
P. Anti-fungal cream
Q. Condoms

tip 6.5
Also pack a water bottle with a micro filter, to protect yourself from travelers diarrhea.

7. If you wear eyeglasses, take an extra pair with you. Pack medicines and extra eyeglasses in your hand luggage so they will be available in case your checked luggage is lost. To be extra secure, pack a backup supply of medicines and an additional pair of eyeglasses in your checked luggage.

8. If you have allergies, reactions to any medications, foods, or insect bites, or medical problems, wear a “medical alert” bracelet or necklace. You may also wish to carry a letter from your physician explaining required treatment should you become ill potentially and cannot communicate.

Healthy Travels,

I really gave you 8.5 for the price of six! Thanks for reading this blog, I have much, much more information to share on travel health and look forward to hearing from you.

Nurse G

One Quick and Easy Travel Emergency Resource

Protect your self and your family with a resource that will get you in touch in an emergency during your travels. The US has a program called STEP at the US State Department website. Before you travel, register your dates of travel and travel destination easily and quickly on their website. If an emergency occurs at home, or in your country of destination, your forethought of registering on this sight may save a life. Plan for an emergency and yes travel insurance is a must. One gorgeous app for the iphone is Travel Emergency, created by Patients Beyond Borders, pbb. It is a locator tool for medical help & emergency medical help. Not that you will need to use it! We will be posting information about other free iphone apps for travel soon. Remember to register your trip with the UK Government LOCATE program, a free service that allows for efficiency of locating you in an emergency. Enjoy your trip and healthy travels. I love to hear from readers, Please post how your travel adventure turns out! Nurse G Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

Bed Bug Website

As travelers vacation this summer season, check out this website for reporting and viewing sightings of bed bugs in hotels. If you choose to find accommodations with the local Marriott instead of family, keep this website in mind. www.bedbugregistry.com. With over 20,000 reports covering 12,000 locations. Reflects North America and The United Kingdom. The web site coordinators state that bed bug sightings reported on their website are not able to be validated. If you sight a bed bug in a hotel room, report it to the front desk and request another room. Much better to communicate your observant findings so the hotel can take measures to fix the problem. Read the previously posted article on bed bugs in hotel rooms full of great advice. Thanks for reading ! Healthy Travels Nurse G Copyright Nurseguardian.com, mytravelhealthkit.com. Use with Permission.

Quick Access Airport Wait Times for Smoother Travel

If you happen to travel more by commercial airlines, this link posts upcoming WAIT TIMES at the airports. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/wait_times/ This is how I would recommend using this information for airline travel; During busy travel seasons, like Thanksgiving, review these wait time statistics. One great feature is the wait times listed by hour increments. So, if you are planning to purchase an airline ticket and want to move quickly or as quick as possible through airport security, then review these wait times for each US commercial airport. You can also find the following; Seasonal wait times Date range for historical data Information from 2006 - current Cross reference search by Airport Cross reference search by Terminal Cross reference search by Concourse US Border wait times are available as well! http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/wait_times/ Healthy and safe travels, Nurse G

Travel Quickly Through TSA With SENTRI Card

SENTRI is a new program designed by the US Government to decrease time for travelers at the boarders. SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travel Rapid Inspection. Designed for vehicles traveling across the U. S. Borders. If you travel by commercial airline, the first two articles of this series cover more information. Accomplished through; The RFID cards contain a file number that is read upon arrival. The file number triggers the participant’s data to be brought up on the CBP Officer’s screen. The data is verified by the CBP Officer and the traveler is released or referred for additional inspections The link for registration; http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/sentri/ This program is for pre-approved, low risk travelers who apply for the program and voluntarily undergo a background check and personal interview. Applicants may not qualify for participation in the SENTRI program if they: Provide false or incomplete information on the application; Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges to include outstanding warrants; Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations or laws in any country; Are subjects of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency; Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; Cannot satisfy CBP of their low risk status or meet other program requirements. Once an applicant is approved they are issued a Radio Frequency Identification Document (RFID) that will identify their record and status in the CBP database upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry. A sticker decal is also issued to the applicant’s vehicle or motorcycle. SENTRI users have access to specific, dedicated primary lanes into the United States. Please ensure the exact documents you provided during the online application are those presented at the time of interview. Originals of evidence of citizenship that you listed on your application If not a U.S. citizen, originals of evidence of immigration admissibility to the U.S., that you listed on your application. Valid drivers license (or state identification) issued in state where applicant lives. Vehicle registration and evidence of US automobile insurance by a company authorized to write automobile insurance in the US. If the vehicle is not registered in the name of the applicant, a notarized letter authorizing its use by the applicant is required. A company vehicle requires written authorization on company letterhead. Evidence of employment or financial support. (For instance, most recent years tax return, pay receipt, or direct deposit salary statement. Those self-employed must present a business license, current tax information and bank statement) Evidence of residence, (Mortgage or rent payment receipts) During the Interview, information provided on the application will be verified and upon acceptance, CBP will: Take a photograph of applicant for identification card purposes Take applicant’s fingerprint Provide terms and conditions of the program Answer any questions the applicant may have Issue an RFID enabled identification document Required Fees Application Fee: $25.00 per person (or a maximum of $50.00 total for husband, wife and minor children) Fingerprint Fee: $17.25 (applicants 14 years and older) System Costs Fee: $80.00 per person (or a maximum of $160.00 total for a husband, wife and minor children) Total Fee: $122.25 per person Safe and healthy travels. Nurse G

When I read about these new programs rolled out in October of 2011, I just had to pass this on to Nurse G's readers! Link to article of programs for business travelers. On Oct. 4, 2011 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched an expedited screening pilot program designed to help TSA focus resources on higher-risk and unknown passengers while expediting the process for lower-risk and known passengers. The first program is called PreCheck or Trusted Traveler. Next program is called NEXUS Odd, there is no explanation for the name. NEXUS is a bi-national cooperative effort, partnering Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The NEXUS program provides expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers by United States and Canadian officials at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, at NEXUS kiosks at Canadian airports where preclearance is available, and at marine reporting locations. Here's the high-tech part; travelers are issued a radio frequency ID card with their photo. That part most of us are used to, traveling with ID. The radio frequency is probably like the quick pass for paying by credit at the gas stations. This program offers iris scanning. That is pretty cool. I'll explain iris scanning shortly. link to NEXUS fact sheet; Healthy travels remember to pack My Travel Health Kit and your prescriptions. Thanks for reading! Nurse G

U.S Airports BusinessTraveler Iris Scanning Quick Facts

New programs to save business travelers time getting though airport include an iris scan. Here is what you need to know. The iris of the eye is photographed, not really scanned and 260 points of reference are used for identification. Top fingerprinting techniques use only 60 to 70 points of reference. When your iris is photographed, it takes a few seconds and you will not feel anything. You may experience a low level of light from the camera, but not a bright flash like a camera or light used during an eye exam. The program is really an iris recognition tool. Less invasive than a retina scan. The retina is the "mirror" at the back of the eyeball which transmits viewed images to the brain. No two iris blue prints are identical, not even for identical twins or triplets. Only travelers name and travel information is connected with iris scan, no personal identification number like social security are stored with this program. Contracted manufacturer of this technology, Iris Scan Inc. contracts with made customer assurances that travelers stored data is not shared with other organizations. Neither Glasses nor contact lenses interfere with the iris recognition program. Eye surgery such as corneal transplants or cataract surgery do not interfere. Even a blind person can participate, their iris can still be scanned. The camera may be set anywhere near your eye from four inches to forty inches. Iris Recognition Tech Facts: Operating systems compatibility: DOS and Windows (NT/95) Average identification speed (database of 100,000 IrisCode records): one to two seconds Probability of two irises producing exactly the same code: 1 in 10 to the 78th power IrisCode record size: 512 bytes Source - IrisScan Inc. If you have been lucky enough to try this out, write Nurse G and tell me about your opinion.

One Quick and Easy Travel Emergency Resource

Protect your self and your family with a travel resource that will help get you in touch with loved ones during an emergency / disaster during your travels.

The US has a program called The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program -STEP at the US State Department website;



It is a bit tricky to sign up for the program, but I will cover that information in the article STEPS to Registering for U.S. Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Before you travel, register your dates of travel and travel destination easily and quickly on their website. You will receive travel ALERTS and travel WARNINGS.

What's in it for me you ask?

Then, if an emergency occurs at home, or in your country of destination, your forethought of registering your contact information may save your life. The only down side, i suppose is that the U.S Government can find you and knows where you are traveling. The upside is, you don't have to stress about finding a working phone during a national disaster, the staff in the STEP program will be reaching out to you.

After the earthquake in Haiti, the STEP program evacuated over 16,700 U.S. citizens and family members. During the civil unrest in Lebanon in 2006 STEP assisted nearly 15,000 U.S. citizens and family members, and in 2004 STEP helped thousands more during the tsunami.
Considering these examples, I would be OK signing up for the STEP program.

If you are from the UK, Remember to register your trip with the UK Government LOCATE program, a free service that allows for efficiency of locating you in an emergency.


Enjoy your trip and healthy travels!

I love to hear from readers, Please post how your travel adventure turns out!

Nurse G

Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

3 steps to a Business Travel Emergency Plan

A graph recently published in Business Travel News shows a gap in travel management and employees emergency communication. For more information on the BTN graph, see http://nurseguardian.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/business-traveler-emergency/ The first article we wrote focused on employee emergencies in the workplace. We are reminding Business travelers to have their own emergency plan. Business Travel - make this part of your pre travel planning. Another article will cover the benefits of Travel Insurance, this article covers thee quick planning steps to protect you and your family. Leave a copy of everything you carry in your wallet with your emergency contact person. Everything. Insurance card included. No, you don't have to photocopy your money. Leave a copy of your passport, your flight information and your hotel contact information and a phone contact of a coworker you are traveling with. Make a copy of your medical prescriptions, including prescription # and name of prescribing physician. If medications get lost in your checked bag or something happens to them, you have a back up plan. note: before taking certain medications into overseas countries, check with the American Embassy about that countries medication laws. Some class C or controlled substances may or may not be allowed. Carry copy of your immunizations and your medical record with you when traveling. Ok, Maybe that is 4. Thanks for reading our blog. Safe travels, Nurse Guardian Good for you for Planning Smart!

Traveling? Get Your Travel Health Report

Contact us for a customized travel health report based on your travel destination. For a limited time, send us your travel destination and we will send you a travel health report with the following information; Suggestions on travel health items, current disease outbreaks, precautions, emergency contact information and suggested immunizations. Nurse Guardian Travel Health Report will help prepare you protect your health against unwanted travel illness. Contact us at nurse@nurseguardian.com. Limited time offer of $69.99 per Travel Health Report. Include Travel Destination or up to three destinations,Dates of Travel and travel health questions. As an added bonus, we will include a 10% discount off My Travel Health Kit® and travel health products. We look forward to taking care of your travel health! Nurse Guardian, pllc Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

Drugcite.com for medication side effects and statistics

I found this website Drugcite.com. It is a fascinating resource for checking medication side effects. The site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. We typed in the Influenza vaccination. Results of side effects reported to the FDA reflected the two major side effects reported during the 2010 flu vaccination season were respiratory and epidermal/ dermal conditions. Epidermal/ dermal basically means it is related to the skin. Click on the epidermal and the statistics are further broken down into subcategories, like rash and redness at site. Just be aware that the side effects are listed in medical terms. I would offer the suggestion that Drugcite.com place a medical dictionary in their tools category. The neat thing is that this site lists the dates of the side effects reported, whether reported by male or female and how many people reported this side effect. Cool. Check out their phone app. We are curious if any of you have tried the app yet. Happy side effect hunting. Great job drugcite.com! Nurse Guardian Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.