Tips For A Safe Spring Break In South Florida
Spring Break season is in its peak and there’s no question that South Florida remains one of the top destinations for celebrating time off school by partying on the beach. After a two-year hiatus, Spring Break 2022 is even bigger than before, with the pent-up need to party bringing crowds not seen since the pandemic first reared its ugly head. Traffic and car accidents always increase during this time of year, but with COVID remaining in the mix, this year is proving to be even more dangerous than usual. The CDC has weighed in on how to prevent injury during spring break and how to stay safe while traveling during these busy months.
No matter where you travel for spring break, here are CDC’s top 5 tips to help you have a safer and healthier spring break.
- Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines as well as all routine vaccines.
CDC recommends making sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel, which includes additional doses for individuals who are immunocompromised or booster doses when eligible.
Routine vaccines protect you from infectious diseases, such as measles, that can spread quickly in groups of unvaccinated people. Many diseases prevented by routine vaccination are no longer common in the United States but are still common in other countries.
- Check the travel requirements and recommendations for your spring break destination.
Check CDC’s webpage for your destination to see what destination-specific vaccines or medicines you may need and what diseases or health risks are a concern at your destination.
If you are traveling internationally, please visit:
- COVID-19 Travel Health Notice for the COVID-19 situation at your destination
- International Travel during COVID-19 for international travel requirements and recommendations
If you are traveling domestically, please visit:
- COVID-19 by County to learn about the COVID-19 situation at your destination
- Domestic Travel during COVID-19 for domestic travel requirements and recommendations
- Visit your healthcare provider.
If you are traveling internationally, make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist at least one month before you leave. They can help you get destination-specific vaccines, medicines, and information. Discussing health concerns as well as your itinerary and planned activities with your provider allows them to give more specific advice and recommendations.
- Plan for unexpected issues.
It is important to plan for unexpected events as much as possible. Doing so can help you get quality health care or avoid being stranded at a destination. A few steps you can take to plan for unexpected events are to get travel insurance, learn where to get health care during travel, pack a travel health kit, and enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)External Link.
- Protect yourself during travel.
Travelers should continue to practice COVID-19 precautions during travel, including properly wearing a well-fitting mask when needed and washing your hands often with soap and water or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
A few other ways you can protect yourself include practicing road safety, wearing sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, avoiding bug bites by using insect repellent, and choosing safer foods and drinks. Practice safer sex and use condoms to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases. Avoid drinking too much alcohol and illicit substance use, as these can put you in dangerous situations.
Do not travel if you are sick, tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test, or had close contact with a person with COVID-19 and are recommended to quarantine. Learn more about when to avoid travel.”
If you are injured in a Florida spring break car crash or experience any other incident, it is important that you contact an experienced South Florida personal injury lawyer. The best personal injury lawyers in Palm Beach County can ease the burden of dealing with all of the headaches and paperwork and help fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
