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The holidays are a wonderful time of year, full of traditions, memory making and most importantly, seeing people we love. However, they can be stressful for people with cancer due to travel and family gatherings. As we look forward to good times, there are some basic precautions patients can take to protect themselves.
Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Sam Shewan MPAS, PA-C, shares three principles of safe travel to observe during this festive season.
Always follow the advice of your treatment team
Before you travel or gather for the holidays, tell your treatment team. Let them know where you plan to travel (domestic or international), what you plan to do (skiing, exploring, spending time with others) and who you may be seeing (family, large groups, small groups, strangers).
Your clinical team knows you best and can give you advice about what specific precautions will keep you safe. They can help you understand if travel will affect your treatment or medications.
Protect yourself
More than ever, people with cancer must protect themselves as much as possible to avoid unnecessary infections. The best way to do this is to get every vaccine recommended by your treatment team. Start with the seasonal flu vaccine and the bivalent (omicron) COVID-19 booster. Depending on your age and what treatment you have received, other vaccines and injections may be important.
In addition to pre-travel prevention, take protective measures while traveling. When flying, wear a tightly fitting N-95 mask that has been approved by the CDC. These offer the best protection against COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. You should wear this in the airport and on the plane. Masking is also a good idea whenever you are at a large indoor gathering. You may not know who has been vaccinated.
When possible, it is best to limit the size of indoor gathering you attend. Practicing social distancing when possible and washing your hands any chance you can are effective ways to avoid infection this holiday season.
Risk Tolerance
When planning your holidays, understand what risks you are taking and how comfortable you are with them. There is no infection prevention strategy that is 100% effective, so you need to understand how much risk you are personally comfortable with and how much risk is wise considering your diagnosis, type of treatment, and whether you can be easily immunocompromised.
Ask yourself: Am I going to crowded areas? Dining out? Will I be spending most of my time indoors or outdoors? Will I be with family and if so, what ages are they?
You should know which risks feel “worth it” if an infection were to occur. Thinking about this ahead of time can give you and your treatment team time to discuss any plans they feel you should avoid or any specific precautions you should take. It also allows you to prepare family and friends for expectations regarding your stay so you can let them know.
You can also lessen your risk by making a list of the medications you are taking with you, knowing your diagnosis, the name of your treating provider, and where the closest medical center is. Hopefully you won’t need this information, but in case of emergency it is always best to know.
These last few years have been especially frustrating for those trying to avoid infections, but it is possible for people with cancer to travel safely. Both providers and patients must understand the risks of infection associated with travel this time of year and do everything they can to mitigate them. Hopefully, adopting these principles will allow you to travel safely and happily this holiday season.