With the highly contagious swine flu or H1N1 virus spreading around the world, right at the peak of the holiday season, many people are thinking twice about travelling. Here, uSwitch answers your questions about how swine flu could affect your holiday and explains everything you need to know about swine flu and travel insurance.
Should I cancel my holiday because of swine flu?
Before you travel anywhere, check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for advice about the risk of swine flu in that country. If the risk of swine flu is very high, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will warn against all non-essential travel to that country, and you should look to postpone or rearrange your trip. Otherwise, you should be able to carry on with your holiday plans more or less as normal.
What precautions can I take against swine flu when I'm on holiday?
The precautions you should take against swine flu while you are on holiday are much the same as those you should take at home. The NHS advises that you:
- always cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and dispose of dirty tissues hygienically.
- maintain good hygiene, for example washing your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an antibacterial hand gel, which may be more convenient when you're travelling.
- avoid contact with people who have swine flu.
- if you are going on holiday within Europe, make sure you have your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to any necessary medical treatment, including treatment for swine flu wherever you are in the European Economic Area country. You can get an EHIC application form from the Post Office, by calling 0845 606 2030. You can also apply online on the EHIC website.
Will my travel insurance cover me against swine flu?
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says that travel insurers should not treat swine flu any differently from other illness, so having travel insurance is more important than ever. Your travel insurance policy should pay for any medical treatment you need if you are unlucky enough to get swine flu on holiday and should also cover the cost if you need to rearrange flights or accommodation for anyone else who is covered by the policy too, for example if you are travelling with your family. Bear in mind that this kind of claim would need to be authorised by your insurer's medical assistance provider.
If you are diagnosed with swine flu when you are due to go on holiday, and you did not have swine flu when you took out your travel insurance policy, you (and any immediate family members you are meant to be travelling with) should be covered for the cost of holiday cancellation, so long as you can provide your insurer with a doctor's certificate to prove that you are not fit to travel.
If when you get to the airport, the airlines judges that you are unfit to fly because they think that you may have swine flu, or for any other medical reason, your travel insurance policy should cover the costs of rearranged flights and cancelled accommodation, if you can provide written confirmation from the airline's medical advisers, but again, check your terms and conditions to be sure. Your travel insurance should also cover you if you are quarantined while you are on holiday and have to stay beyond your planned departure date. This too has to be authorised by your insurer's medical assistance provider.
Because policies differ, it is always best to refer to the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy if you are unsure about what you will be covered for.
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