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[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

[Shelly Diaz] Hi. I'm Shelly Diaz from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today I'm here with Dr. Christie Reed of CDC's Travelers' Health Group. We're going to talk about the Yellow Book. Dr. Reed, tell us all about the Yellow Book. What is the Yellow Book?

[Christie Reed] Well the Yellow Book's actually health information for the international traveler. It's a handbook that has up-to-date healthcare information for both before, during, and after international travel - for the traveler, for the health care provider. It's called the Yellow Book because the cover's always been yellow.

[Shelly Diaz] Who is the Yellow Book for?

[Christie Reed] Well, originally it was for healthcare providers, but it's actually useful for anyone who travels abroad - people on vacation, business people, recent immigrants returning to visit friends and relatives, people adopting internationally, and missionaries. It's also helpful for the travel industry, as they advise travelers.

[Shelly Diaz] Is it only for adventure travelers who like to go to exotic places?

[Christie Reed] No. It's for anyone, it's whether you're traveling internationally globally, or traveling internationally to one of our neighbor countries. It includes information on infectious diseases, but also it includes common sense information about injuries and accidents, which are actually more common for travelers.

[Shelly Diaz] Really? Can you tell us what's new in this edition of the Yellow Book?

[Christie Reed] Well the first thing that's new is the flu chapter. We cover seasonal influenza, but because there's so much interest in avian and pandemic flu, we expanded that chapter. And because unfortunately there are natural disasters or other types of disasters around the world and people respond, we have a specific chapter for humanitarian aid workers- what they should prepare and think about as they're getting ready to go, while they're there, and afterwards. It also has up-to-date information on malaria risks and medication advice, information on vaccines, and a little bit about the responsibility the traveler has in preparing, in addition to what the travel industry and healthcare providers can do for them.

[Shelly Diaz] Well now that you've told us about the new features, can you tell us about some of the standard recurring features in the Yellow Book?

[Christie Reed] Some of the things that are always there again touch on the things you should think about in advance. As you're preparing for your trip and you're excited, there are some things you should include on your checklist to do before you leave. There are some things to do while you're gone, and to think about after you come back. There's also information for those that have underlying chronic conditions - hypertension, diabetes, things like that - and resources for travelers with disabilities. And I mentioned international adoptions before. There's a specific chapter, and it's good information for the parents thinking about what they should do for themselves related to the trip, and then some information about bringing back their new family member.

[Shelly Diaz] Dr. Reed, where can travelers get a copy of the Yellow Book?

[Christie Reed] There are several places. It's available this time in book stores. It's also available online, through book companies that you can order online. But the easiest place would be to go to the website, which is www.cdc.gov/travel. And from there you can find out more information about the Yellow Book, and it will also link you to the publisher's website.

[Shelly Diaz] Do you have any last words of advice for people preparing for a trip?

[Christie Reed] Sure. The first thing is always common sense. The second one falls right in the same line of common sense: wash your hands. It's good for a variety of preventive issues. Then, checking for information using your handy dandy Yellow Book; consulting with your physician or primary care practitioner or other healthcare provider; going to the website - the cdc.gov/travel that I mentioned - has a lot of information that's timely because situations change, and it also has connections to other websites that could be of vast use for the traveler. But the biggest recommendation is to go and have fun.

[Shelly Diaz] Thank you, Dr. Reed, for providing this information. The Yellow Book can certainly help travelers prepare for safe and healthy travel. For more information on travelers' health and the Yellow Book, go to www.cdc.gov/travel.

[Announcer] To access the most accurate and relevant health information that affects you, your family and your community, please visit www.cdc.gov.