Traveler’s Health

Preparing carefully and thoughtfully for travel can make all the difference. Whether you’re leaving the islands for business or pleasure, it is always a good idea to check to see if there is a risk of infectious diseases actively circulating at your destination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly posts the most up-to-date travel notices on its website at: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices. Understanding the risks of visiting a certain location can help you to better prepare so that you can enjoy your travel and return to the islands disease-free.

Hawaii is fortunate that some of the most harmful diseases are not endemic here, meaning they are not being spread locally. Let’s work together to keep it that way. Although you may feel fine while traveling, if you contract a disease or virus overseas and return home to Hawaii, you run the risk of spreading it to others you come in to contact with. If you do get sick after returning home, make sure you tell your healthcare provider where you have traveled and when.

General Resources

Travel Immunization Resources

Special Precautions for Zika

Women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant should avoid going to areas where Zika is spreading and talk to their doctors before making any travel plans.

A person can spread Zika even if they don’t feel sick. To keep others safe and stop viruses from spreading, use EPA-registered insect repellent to protect themselves from mosquito bites while traveling and for three weeks after returning home if you are traveling to a region where Zika is actively circulating. Additionally, since Zika can also be sexually transmitted, both men and women should practice safe sex by using a condom.

To learn more about Zika, visit the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Zika Factsheet.

Last reviewed April 2019