Travel to Mass Gatherings

"Whether the event is planned years in advance (World Cup) or happens more spontaneously (street celebrations), events that draw huge crowds can come with unique risks to travelers including increasing the spread of infectious diseases.

What risks should I be worried about?

Mass gatherings involve a large number of people (sometimes in the millions) at a specific location, for a specific purpose, during a defined time frame.

Risks caused by crowding you should be aware of include:

• Poor hygiene at or around temporary food and sanitation facilities
• Challenging security situations
• Sun & heat exposure
• Diseases caused by bug bites (like malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, Lyme, and yellow fever).
• Increased risk of preventable diseases due to an influx of people
  • Flu
  • Measles
  • MERS
  • Hepatitis
  • Travelers’ diarrhea

What can I do to protect myself?

Before your trip:

• Check your destination for health risks and safety concerns.
• Consult with your doctor or a travel medicine provider at least a month before your trip to allow time to receive vaccinations, medicines, and advice that you may need. Discuss your itinerary and any planned activities with your provider so that he or she can make customized recommendations to ensure a healthy and safe journey.
  • Make sure you are up-to-date on all of your routine vaccines, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR). Measles and other infectious diseases can spread quickly in a large group of unvaccinated people.
• Enroll with the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). You can subscribe to receive notifications on travel warnings for your destination. Enrolling also ensures that the Department of State knows where you are if you have serious legal, medical, or financial difficulties while traveling. In the event of an emergency at home, STEP can also help friends and family contact you.
• Pack a travel health kit complete with bug spray, sunscreen, aloe, over-the-counter medicines, prescription medicines, a first aid kit, and more. Be sure to bring enough of your prescription medicines to last for the whole trip, plus a little extra, just in case.
  • Be sure that all your medicines are permitted in the country where you’re traveling, even if you’re just passing through..."
    Mass gatherings