The Cure for Holiday Illness? | The Crows Nest Blog | HolidayTravelWatch
Regular readers of this site will know that the 2008 holiday season is in full swing, with increased holiday complaints of illness or sickness at a wide range of holiday destinations.
However, help may be at hand for the long suffering holidaymaker! Yes, that’s right! A report in The Independent advises that US scientists state that ‘Travellers tummy may be cured by an E-Coli patch’! The report tells of a vaccine patch that reduces travellers diarrhoea by up to 75%.
Holidaymakers would be required to apply the patch for a 6 hour period, 3 weeks before travel, and for a further period approximately 1 week before travel to receive ‘booster’ protection. The vaccine is based on a toxin produced by E-Coli.
This is a remarkable claim, but before the travel industry rush with excitement toward this new business opportunity, we should reflect on the whole issue of holiday illness.
I think that it is likely that such a vaccine would be argued as the panacea to ‘the change in climate’, ‘a bug on the island’ or ‘montezuma’s revenge’; the excuses trotted out regularly to holidaymakers by resort representatives!
The vaccine would mask the many failures in hygiene in hotels or resorts, hiding the real culprits that cause serious illness. This season, we have already received reports of varying types of Salmonella, Camplylobacter etc; holidaymakers are being encouraged to visit local resort pharmacies for ‘local remedies’, many of which simply ‘hide’ the true cause of illness, some of which have been banned by many counties.
The other issue that could arise from the advent of this vaccine would be the requirement from travel insurance companies that you have to have the vaccine before you travel, in order to ‘activate’ the policy. It is not a too far a step to imagine that travel companies would also require ‘indemnities’ from the holidaymaker, agreeing to take the vaccine and without that ‘protection’, they would not be able to sue the tour operator for failures in their holiday contracts. If they did not sign the ‘indemnity’ would they be allowed to travel?
The potential to ‘hide’ the real extent of poor hygiene, poor food or water standards, and in fact witness a lowering of current ’standards’ in holiday contracts should not be underestimated!
So before the rush to the local travel agent or chemist, think hard on the consequences of such a vaccine, think hard on the standards of the property you may visit!
If you have been affected by any Holiday Illness complaints, please contact us at HolidayTravelWatch
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HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
