No one wants to miss or postpone a trip, but there are times when staying home might be best for health reasons. First, evaluate your health or the health of those traveling with you by using the guide below.
Then, talk to your doctor. He or she will help you assess your situation and help you decide whether to postpone your trip.
In general, you should not travel by air if you:
• Will be taking a baby less than 48 hours (2 days) old
• Have passed 36 weeks of pregnancy (or 32 weeks if you are carrying twins, triplets, etc.)
• Have recently had any type of surgery, especially stomach, brain, eye, or orthopedic (bone and joint) surgery. Check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
• Have had a recent stomach, eye, or head injury. Check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
• Have had a recent heart attack or stroke
• Are suffering from:
o Chest pain
o Any disease that you can easily spread to other people (For a listing of infectious diseases, how they are spread, and how long someone is contagious
o Swelling of the brain caused by bleeding, injury, or infection
o Severe sinus, ear, or nose infections
o Severe chronic respiratory diseases, breathlessness at rest, or a collapsed lung
o Sickle cell disease
o Psychotic illness except when fully controlled
• Have a fever of 38° C (100° F) or greater AND one or more of the following:
o Obvious signs of illness (e.g., severe headache, weakness, skin and eyes turning yellow)
o Skin rash
o Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
o Persistent, severe cough
o Confusion, especially if it has just started
o Bruising or bleeding (without previous injury)
o Diarrhea that does not go away
o Vomiting that does not go away (other than motion sickness)
Some airlines check for visibly sick passengers in the waiting area and during boarding. If you look like you may be sick, the airline may not let you get on the plane.
Important: If you are sick, check with your airline to see what options you have for rescheduling your flight.
From: cdc.gov
