Family travel is on an upward trend. A 2023 study from the Family Travel Association found that 81% of parents are “very likely” to explore the world with their children over the next 12 months.

So what does it take to plan a safe and healthy trip with kids? Expert pediatricians Dr. Mike Starr and Dr. Sheila Mackell join the Travel Unravelled podcast to provide guidance. Dr. Starr is a general pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist in Melbourne with more than 30 years of experience, while Dr. Mackell is a pediatrician in Flagstaff, Arizona, with more than 35 years of experience in general pediatrics and travel medicine. Together, they discuss a wide variety of tips and tricks that every parent should know before booking a trip with little ones. 

From vaccinations and common illnesses to environmental risks, medications, and even sport and activity precautions, there’s a lot more to travelling with young people than booking flights — and once you listen to this episode, you’ll be a lot better prepared to handle it. 

GUEST BIOS

Dr. Mike Starr is a general pediatrician, infectious diseases physician and emergency physician at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. He’s been working in travel medicine for over 30 years, specialising in the care of children, families and pregnant women. He’s authored many papers, guidelines and textbook chapters on paediatric travel medicine topics.  He’s one of the authors/editors of the Australian Manual of Travel Medicine.

Dr. Sheila Mackell is a pediatrician based in Flagstaff, Arizona, with over 35 years of experience in general pediatrics and travel medicine. She trained at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia, and UCSF, and holds a certificate in tropical medicine from the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. She now teaches travel medicine and public health, and travels with surgical teams to provide pediatric care for children undergoing cleft lip and palate surgery.

LINKS

• The Family Travel Association 2023 study showed that 81% of families are very likely to travel with their children in the next 12 months
• Read the Australian Manual of Travel Medicine
• Check out your destination’s road safety rules with the World Health Organization’s app
• WHO declares July 25 as World Drowning Prevention Day 
• Boil it, cook it, peel it or leave it! Tips on eating and drinking safely abroad
• Listen to The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne podcast episode on how to help children take medicine
• To follow us on your favourite podcast platform, go to our show feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Please remember to rate the show!
• Travel Unravelled is sponsored by the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT), which provides extensive resources, like the Guide to Healthy Travel, and Guide to Travel Health Insurance. IAMAT is the exclusive sponsor of season 2 of ISTM’s Travel Unravelled podcast.
• The ISTM’s Travel Unravelled podcast is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Welcome back to Travel Unravelled!
00:40 Catching up with Travel Unravelled hosts
01:52 Guest introduction
03:30 Understanding pediatric travel
04:25 The best age groups to travel with
08:04 The most common accidents during travel
10:05 Tips for travelling with teens or school-age children
15:07 Vaccinations you should know about
24:32 Food, water, and diarrheal illness prevention in children
31:06 Flying with children
38:52 How to approach malaria risk conversations
43:21 Types of medications for children
47:44 Protection against insects
51:42 Activity and sport precautions abroad
55:24: Lightning round: three essential travel tips for parents
01:01:05 Final comments