Health and Safety Information

The Education Abroad Center has been monitoring the novel H1N1 outbreak carefully. At this time, there are no plans to cancel any of the 2009 Summer Abroad programs; however, Summer Abroad will continue to monitor the CDC, WHO, and State Department recommendations.

If an H1N1 outbreak or infection threat occurs in the vicinity of a program, the Education Abroad Center and/or UC may decide to change the program structure or locations. In some cases, a program closure may be the safest option. Any decision to alter a program will be made in consultation with program providers, on-site program staff and UC liaisons, UC risk management teams and US and foreign embassies and departments of state. These assessments, decisions and any required actions will be communicated immediately to students and their emergency contacts as appropriate.

As the H1N1 virus continues to spread worldwide, each country has taken a number of precautions that differ widely. In some instances, local immigration and communities have imposed quarantines on suspected H1N1 carriers. While no UC Davis student on our programs has contracted H1N1 to date, these quarantines have affected a small number of our programs and we are working with local governments to comply with their policies. At all times we strive to preserve the regular academic program and to minimize the impact of the quarantines on our students. Additionally, all participating students are covered by ACE health insurance (a UC system-wide insurance policy) and a supplemental policy through HTH, with provisions for evacuation.

For additional information about public health issues for travelers worldwide, consult the online sources below:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

The CDC web site also contains advice for health maintenance (washing hands frequently, getting medical advice should symptoms occur) and a list of six ways to avoid contracting the flu (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm?s_cid=swineFlu_outbreak_internal_003).
The World Health Organization in Switzerland: http://www.who.int/en/
U.S. Department of State international travel alerts: http://travel.state.gov/
UC Davis campus response to the swine flu: http://ucdavis.edu/help/swine_flu.html

Summer Abroad encourages all participants to purchase trip cancellation insurance – to cover the cost of their airfare and in some cases, their program fees, in the event that an illness or emergency prevents them from participating in their program.