This summer, the world turned its eyes to the biggest sporting event on the planet: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Spanning three countries — Canada, United States, and Mexico — and drawing millions of fans across borders, this isn’t just football. It’s one of the largest mass gatherings in modern history, and with it comes a unique convergence of travel, public health, and infectious disease risk. So behind the goals, the GOATS, the gathering of diasporas and chants, and the late-night celebrations, another team is on the field — travel medicine.

Travel medicine clinicians work hard to maintain the safety of crowds at all sorts of mass gatherings, from religious pilgrimages like the Hajj to summer concert festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury. So what should travellers and clinicians know to prepare for mass gatherings?

In this episode, our panel of ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib, ISTM president Dr. Anne McCarthy and travel medicine clinician Dr. Albie De Frey explore the fascinating world of mass gatherings medicine — where celebration meets surveillance, and where travel medicine plays a critical role in keeping the world moving safely. 

In this episode we’ll be discussing:

• What vaccines should you get before you travel to a mass gathering like a sporting event – the Olympics – or a religious festival, like the Hajj?
• When should you begin preparing and what’s the ideal timeline for preparation?
• We’ll be talking about climate considerations – how to prepare for extremes of heat or cold? 
• What considerations should you consider for immigration?

GUEST BIOS

Dr. Jill Weatherhead is the US Soccer Infectious Disease Consultant. Director of the Pediatric Tropical Medicine clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital and the Adult Tropical Medicine clinic in Harris Health System in Houston, TX. She was a coauthor of the recent 2026 FIFA World Cup guidelines for travellers.

Dr. Salim Parker is a travel medicine specialist in mass gatherings and the Hajj pilgrimage. And a general practitioner based in Cape Town. He  co-authored the Hajj Travel chapter in the last 4 editions of the CDC Yellow Book on Travelers Health. 

LINKS

Jill Weatherhead coauthored this review: The 2026 FIFA World Cup: Communicable disease risks and advice for visitors to Canada, the United States, and Mexico

Salim Parker coauthored the Hajj Travel chapter in the last 4 editions of the CDC Yellow Book on Travelers Health

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The ISTM’s Travel Unravelled podcast is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS

00:00 Introduction
01:52 Episode topics 
02:22 Guest introductions 
06:47 Mass gatherings
08:12 Infectious diseases
09:40 Crowded transport
11:53 Vaccine mandates
14:02 Outbreak resurgence
16:13 Routine vaccines
18:44 Yellow fever
23:22 Quarantine rules
26:50 Visa requirements
28:16 Environmental risks
30:28 Heat tragedies
32:46 Hydration breaks
36:30 Heat symptoms
38:40 Heat stroke
40:52 Mobility issues
42:44 Behavioral risks
45:41 Mpox concerns
48:21 Vector-borne diseases
51:25 Mosquito avoidance
52:47 Tick dangers
54:56 Travel tips
58:33 Journey purpose
59:46 Educational preparation
01:00:19 Lifelong vaccines
01:01:58 Preparedness importance
01:04:14 Podcast credits