wondering if there might be any impending cancellations for the mexico or california tours (san diego) because of the swine flu scare in mexico and reported cases in california?!?

should I hold off on booking a May trip?
anyone from Contiki able to answer?

thanks and sorry don't mean to scare anyone, just wanted to see if this was something that was affecting contiki....

I wouldn't let it stop you from booking your trip. I did a little bit of research and no-one seems to be telling people to svoid mexico, let alone america so you should be fine.
I don't think its too serious, i just think that if you get any of the symptoms you should get help asap.
Just make sure you take extra precautions and use antibacterial hand wash etc and you should be ok. Maybe check you're all up to date with vaccines.
Don't let it stop you, just book your trip and have a great time :-)

If it gets any worse BOTH governments will close the borders and stop travel to/from Mexico. If you go take precautions. I would recommend going to the CDC website. I work in a doctors office and we are quite concerned being near the border and have many people who travel back and forth. Get educated and use common sense.

I'm assuming they won't close the borders to the states unless it becomes a major crisis right?
So pur trips should all be fine?

Hey Guys

I am doing the GS and GN starting from the end of May. Would anyone suggest getting a normal flu vaccination to help protect me a little more. I know the swine flu is a different strain with no vaccination as yet but just curious as to what people thought?

Cheers
Taz

Thanks for your replies. I'm going to hold off booking anything to that area for now. The US declared a health emergency for swine flu.

In terms of getting a flu shot I heard on the news that it might help, but they don't know for sure since it's a new strain of virus.

Tazzie, While getting a flu vaccine won't protect you from all strains (especially this strain of swine flu) it will lesson the severity of any flu bug you may pick up. The four recommendations for preventing the flu involve
1. Get an annual flu vaccine.
2. Wash your hands regularly, carry some alcohol hand sanitiser with you
3. Don't touch your face with your hands
4. Cover your mouth when you sneeze.

By the time our tour starts in 4 weeks this flu will be around the world already, so your chances of getting it here are the same as getting it in the US.
As long as you are careful with your hygiene, have good travel insurance and seek medical help as soon as you get a tempreture with any of the common cold symptoms you should be fine

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Snazzykazzy,

Thanks SnazzyKazzy

My work is offering their annual free flu vaccines and as I am terrified of needles I usually dont get one but was wondering whether it might be worth it this year. I will be in America for two months so wanted to do all I can to be prepared.
I have read all the advice I can find and people are suggesting keeping up good hygiene, hand sanitizers, not touching your face, mouth, nose if you can help it and covering nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.

And you'll have an infectious diseases nurse (me) on your first tour!

haha you will become our tour guardian no doubt! hopefully with all the precautions people take to avoid contiki cough we will be a little more careful and on the look out than normal.
Yeah it seems like it has spread outside of Mexico and the US already

There are cases of it in Auckland, a school group returned from mexico with it.

Hey Pervy

Yeah I saw that, apprently there is cases in Mexico, USA, Canada, New Zealand. Some suspected cases in Australia but I think they have been cleared.

I am a little worried but definitely not enough to put off travel plans. Good medicine and good hygiene practices will definitely come into play

Just saw this:"The top EU health official urged Europeans on Monday to postpone nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico because of the swine flu virus."
http://www.google.com/hostedne...XD2S5s-3ZhgD97QRQSG1

To be perfectly honest, in regards to travelling to the US, I'm more concerned about catching bed bugs than I am the flu. I would put off going to Mexico only because I have been to third world countries and it's not my idea of a holiday. When you look at it though, Mexico has a population of 1.1 billion with 1800 cases of flu. Not statistics I would worry about. They have poor health care facilities and most of the population are poor. It's these people who are getting the sickest (sad fact of life). It's not too late to switch to a different tour.
It's too late to contain this flu, as it has already spread around the world. All cases outside of mexico have been reported as "mild flu" symptoms. If you don't want to go on holiday and get sick, don't do a contiki. There's a really good chance your going to get the contiki cough.
In regards of cancelling trips, the only advice I'll be following is WHO and the CDC (and contiki).