The Medical Department at Massachusetts Maritime Academy has the responsibility to advise participants embarked on the annual winter sea term regarding medical matters of importance.

For Sea Term 2001, the Training Ship will travel to the following ports:

• Willemstad, Curacao
• Limon Bay, Costa Rica
• St. John, Virgin Islands
• New Orleans, Louisiana

For those travelling to these areas, the following vaccinations are strongly recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include:

1. Typhoid Fever Vaccine
2. Malaria Prophylaxis (Ask your travel clinic about "Malarone", an anti-malaria prevention , with few side effects).
3. Hepatitis A (This has been required by MMA for admission since 1999).

The Medical Department at Massachusetts Maritime Academy recommends you contact a Travel Clinic now for information and administration of these vaccines. Please stop at Health Services for additional information if needed.

Please note, there are not vaccines for all diseases, nor does CDC recommend vaccines for all travel itineraries. Immunization requirements are based upon each individual itinerary while visiting a foreign country. This necessarily includes the possibility of brief encounters in areas other than urban communities.

Personal protective measures are absolutely necessary. It is essential that each person bring an insect repellant containing a 30-35% concentration of DEET, and wear protective clothing, such as long sleeve shirts and pants from dusk to dawn if outdoors.

Other essential items to bring on Sea term include:

1. Any prescription medications that are to be taken for the 52 days of sea term
2. Health insurance card.
3. Sunscreen lotion with a minimum of SPF #30 rating, sunglasses and hat.
4. Water shoes for protection from sea life injuries.

In addition, the Medical Department wishes to reinforce the recommendation to avoid eating uncooked fruits, vegetable and shellfish. Also, avoid drinking water or beverages with ice while in foreign countries. Carbonated bottled water and beverages are safe. As a last word of caution, avoid and do not handle animals in foreign ports.

Please do not hesitate to contact our health facility at Massachusetts Maritime Academy (508-830-5048) if further explanation or individual needs are required of this department. Thank You,

Sharon Sylvia, RN
A.G. Capobianco, M.D.