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Resources for Travel Safety & Health

  • VIRT

    The Global Safety and Health Manager heads 91ºÚÁÏÍø Incident Response for Travel (VIRT), a team dedicated to providing round-the-clock safety-related guidance and assistance for members of the 91ºÚÁÏÍø community who are away on VU-related travel. VIRT works to implement cross-campus procedures to ensure an effective and consistent response to any VU travel emergency. VIRT can be reached any time of the day or night atÌý+1 615-322-2745, or on a non-emergency basis atÌývirt@vanderbilt.edu.

    Learn more about VIRT.

  • 91ºÚÁÏÍø Travel Risk Assessment Committee

    The 91ºÚÁÏÍø Travel Risk Assessment Committee (VTRAC) reviews travel when there is a significant health or safety concern. In order to travel to areas of concern, university members must apply for restricted travel destination exemption through VTRAC.

    Learn more about VTRAC and how to apply

  • Safety & Health
    91ºÚÁÏÍø Global Opportunities has partnered with Healix to provide 24/7 worldwide support. As part of this update, all students, faculty, and staff who are traveling more than 100 miles away from the Nashville campus on university business will have medical insurance coverage automatically. For more detailed information, visit .
    Have questions? Contact globalsafety@vanderbilt.edu

    It is also highly recommended international travelers register with the embassy of their host country. US citizens will register with the Department of State’s .

    Students, including graduate and professional students, who are traveling abroad independently are required toÌýregister their travel. (Students studying abroad through 91ºÚÁÏÍø Study Abroad are automatically registered.)

  • Travel Assistance and Insurance
    91ºÚÁÏÍø Global Opportunities has partnered with Healix to provide 24/7 worldwide support. As part of this update, all students, faculty, and staff who are traveling more than 100 miles away from the Nashville campus on university business will have medical insurance coverage automatically. For more detailed information, visit . Have questions? Contact globalsafety@vanderbilt.edu.Ìý
  • Travel Health Consultation

    All 91ºÚÁÏÍø travelers should seek out a travel health consultation. Students as well as faculty and staff have low-cost options available on campus; see below. Students and faculty are also free to use their own clinicians.

    Travel consultation appointments should be made at leastÌý4-6 weeks in advanceÌýof the departure date, in order to allow any vaccinations time to take effect. Some vaccines may require a series of shots, so it is important to allow enough time for series completion.

    We also recommend reading the Centers for Disease Control’s information and guidelines for the country you plan to study or visit. Search for a destination at the CDCÌý.

    Students

    °Õ³ó±ðÌýÌýprovides students with Travel Consultation appointments to ensure that students understand health risks of their travel destination, as well as providing a physical and helping students to construct a care plan for managing health away from home. This appointment is a particularly good opportunity to discuss medication plans, including questions such as whether needed medications are available overseas, whether they can be carried with you, what their equivalents in other countries might be, and so on.

    Students should plan to book their appointment at Student Health as soon as possible. Due to the high rate of study abroad at 91ºÚÁÏÍø, there is a rush on appointments toward the middle and latter part of each semester.

    Staff and Faculty

    Ìýprovides pre-travel consultations for faculty and staff. These visits help travelers prepare a customized health care plan, providing destination-specific vaccinations and prescription medications, a medical travel kit, and health and safety advice. 91ºÚÁÏÍø Occupational Health Clinic services are offered without cost to 91ºÚÁÏÍø faculty and staff traveling on 91ºÚÁÏÍø business. For those not traveling on 91ºÚÁÏÍø business, equivalent services are available through theÌý.

Study Abroad

91ºÚÁÏÍø takes care to minimize the risks students face abroad and provide support through several measures:

  • Selecting responsible partners and organizations to provide educational opportunities abroad;
  • Providing program-specific training to help students identify and mitigate potential risks;
  • Providing access to on-site support staff and organizations trained to handle emergencies of all types;
  • Training on-campus personnel to respond to crises and provide support where possible;
  • Training students in preventive as well as remedial strategies to avoid trouble abroad;
  • Monitoring the safety and security of our programs abroad on a 24/7 basis;
  • Providing 24/7 support to students in crisis abroad throughÌýÌý(VIRT). Students (and faculty leaders) can callÌý+1 615.322.2745Ìýto be connected with a team dedicated to providing safety-related guidance and assistance.
  • Ensuring access to the highest local standard of medical and security services abroad;
  • Via the Study Abroad Risk Assessment Committee, assessing risk mitigation plans and ensuring that travelers understand and are prepared for travel to locations of particular concern. SARAC forecloses travel if mitigation measures are insufficient.

We also recommend that students take their safety into their own hands. Students should take time to know the local laws and learn about behavioral norms and expectations. By attending their pre-departure orientation and reading the materials provided by 91ºÚÁÏÍø and its partners, students will get a view into what life looks like at the study abroad destination, including tips for staying safe.

Online Resources

There are many online resources of use to the international traveler. We have selected some of the most helpful:

USÌýState Department Resources

  • .ÌýEnsure that you receive localized embassy communications and can be located by the US government in an emergency (USÌýcitizens only)
  • .ÌýPrivate sector-governmental committee that provides security analysis of areas and events around the world.
  • . Information and services for travelers, including travel risk ratings.

Preparing for Safe and Healthy Travel Abroad

  • .ÌýEmergency phone numbers around the world. Be prepared by looking up the countries you plan to visit before you depart.
  • .ÌýInformation on minimizing road risks, one of the top causes of death for international travelers.
  • .ÌýHealth and disease information and recommendations by country.
  • .ÌýCountry-specific and topic-specific health information, as well as notices about disease outbreaks and health emergencies.
  • .ÌýInformation on travel and security screenings.

Securing Travel Visas

Companies that can assist you with visa information and applications includeÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý.

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