CDC Releases New Interactive Website for Health Information for International Travel (The Yellow Book)

Atlanta- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled a re-designed, interactive Web site of one of CDC's most widely disseminated publications, Health Information for International Travel, commonly dubbed "The Yellow Book". The Yellow Book is considered by many health care providers, travel professionals, airlines, cruise lines, and humanitarian and academic institutions to be the gold standard for health recommendations for international travel. The Yellow Book and companion Web site www.cdc.gov/travel/yb is published biennially by CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine as a reference for those who advise international travelers of health risks.

The key to the new, interactive Web site is the use of drop-down menus for all of the major subjects in the Yellow Book, including vaccination information, yellow fever requirements, malaria information, geographic distribution and health hints. Users can obtain customized reports for individual travel plans and search for particular subjects or destinations in the text without having to search through unrelated topics.

"International travelers will find the interactive Yellow Book Web site to be very helpful," said CDC Director Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH. "The new features make it easier to find information about preventive measures travelers can take to protect their health."

The handy, interactive design of the Yellow Book Web site incorporated many comments and suggestions from the public and health care providers seeking more customized information in a user-friendly format. CDC encourages users to submit comments about the new Web site through the "comments section" on the site's homepage.

The Yellow Book is one of many valuable CDC resources for travelers that can be found at www.cdc.gov/travel. Travelers' Health is CDC's third most visited Web site and is constantly updated as new information becomes available. Travelers can find guidance about a variety of travel-related health topics besides vaccination requirements.

To obtain a hard copy of the Yellow Book, contact the Public Health Foundation at (toll-free): 1-877-252-1200 or http://bookstore.phf.org. Users may download the Yellow Book free of charge at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook.pdf. For more information about health recommendations for international travel, visit CDC's Travelers Health website at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.