November and December are busy travel months in the US thanks to two major holidays and lots of time off school—they’re also smack dab in the middle of flu season. You’ll receive lots of warnings about flu season this year, but there’s something else to worry about if you’ll be flying: measles and mumps.
When you pass through an airport, before you even get in a closed plane with possibly sick strangers, you’ll pass by hundreds of other people. Some will wait hours in line with you at check in and security. Others will share little trains with you, or sit near you at a cafe. They will use the bathrooms, kiosks, and other communal things you use.
But it’s not like normal crowded places. At the airport, people are tired, stressed, and their immune systems are weaker than normal. They’re coming and going from many places, a mix of different germs. And some of them are carrying contagious diseases like mumps and measles.
Mumps and measles were once childhood illnesses, but vaccines nearly wiped them out in countries that adopted vaccination schedules. A combination of travel and people breaking herd immunity by skipping the vaccine have creared little outbreaks across the country, and those outbreaks have spread out from just the unvaccinated.
While vaccine efficacy is pretty high, for a few people they’re immune systems may have been off and the vaccine didn’t take, or it may have worn off with age and a change in immune system function (like if you developed a chronic illness). They may get sick. Usually having at least mild immunity means milder symptoms, but some people may be unlucky enough to get thenfull blast.
Here’s what to do: protect yourself in airports by supporting your immune system. Plan ahead for any schedule changes (waking up early), or changes to your circadian rhythm so that you aren’t as tired. Plan ahead to avoid stress like running late, or being caught by policy changes.
And plan ahead to support your immune system with colloidal silver. Travel throws a lot at you, so have some backup immune support to help ensure a healthy, happy trip!
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