How to prepare for a trip with your children

If you plan on travelling with the family for march break, it's important to plan ahead.

It’s nearly March which means some parents may soon be getting ready to travel with their children during spring break.

The Medical Officer of Health and CEO of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit joined CTV Your Morning Ottawa on Wednesday to offer some advice to parents preparing to travel with their young ones.

“You need a break. The kids need a break. Make sure that it’s safe and enjoy it,” Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, A.K.A. Dr. Paul, said.

Preparing for travel

Dr. Paul says the best way to start preparing for a trip is by paying a visit to the Government of Canada’s travel advice website.

“They’ll tell you advisories like don’t go there, go there. Be careful of this, be careful of that, depending on where you go,” he said.

Whether they’re getting ready to hit the road or head to the airport, parents should give themselves extra time to arrive at their destination and ensure their children have some form of entertainment to pass the time while travelling, Dr. Paul said.

For those travelling by air, especially when travelling with infants, Dr. Paul recommends checking seating regulations ahead of time.

Vaccinations

Parents should ensure their whole family has all the necessary vaccines before travelling, including routine vaccinations and any required for the travel destination, Dr. Paul said.

“We know Canada had a lot of measles, but a lot of countries south, Mexico, southern United States, all over the world now, a lot of measles are out there. So, really important to get your routine vaccinations up to date,” Dr. Paul said.

Vaccine requirements and recommendations for travel destinations can also be found on the Government of Canada website.

Some vaccines need to be taken six to eight weeks ahead of time, which is why Dr. Paul recommends preparing well ahead of the trip. Measles vaccines are delivered in two doses, one at 12 months of age and one between four to five years old.

Dr. Paul says preventative medications might be needed when travelling to some areas.

“You go to some areas where they have mosquitos — malaria, you might need to take some medications for that as well,” he said.

Medications and first aid kits

When preparing to fly, Dr. Paul recommends packing medications in carry-on baggage, rather than checked bags.

“Pack them on you, not in your baggage that you’re checking in, because you might lose it,” he said.

Whether travelling by road or the air, Dr. Paul suggests packing a first aid kit. Other items that might be important to pack include insect repellant and sunscreen.

Food and water

Depending on the area, Dr. Paul says travellers may want to take precautions when eating or drinking.

“Knowing where you’re going, is the water safe? If not, have bottled water, wash your hands, and so on,” he said. “Again, follow those precautions. Be careful of the food and those types of things, because some places don’t have the sanitation and water that we have here in Canada, so just be aware.”

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