Health and Safety

The health and safety of our participants is taken very seriously. It takes precedent over all else. When living abroad there are a number of issues that students need to take into consideration regarding maintaining personal health, physical and mental well-being, and safety. BSA follows the guidelines and recommendations of a number of different organizations in developing our study abroad policies.  Staff in our U.S. office as well as in our China office monitor all updates posted by the U.S. Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and The World Health Organization (WHO) in regards to all issues concerning travel and study in China.

Vaccinations
There are no required vaccinations for travel to China, although the CDC recommends the below. You should consult with your health care provider at least two months before your trip.

• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.

• Hepatitis B is a vaccine to consider, especially if you might be in situations where you may be exposed to blood or body fluids (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not receive the series as infants.

• Japanese Encephalitis, if you plan to visit rural farming areas and under special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.

• Malaria: if you are traveling to a malaria-risk area in this region, see your health care provider for a prescription antimalarial drug. For details concerning risk and preventive medications, see Malaria Information for Travelers to East Asia.

• Rabies, if you might have extensive unprotected outdoor exposure in rural areas, such as might occur during camping, hiking, or bicycling, or engaging in certain occupational activities.

• Typhoid vaccination should be considered, particularly if you are visiting developing countries. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors

• As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles.

Food and Drink
Make sure your food and drinking water are safe. Food and waterborne diseases are the primary cause of illness in travelers. Travelers’ diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which are found throughout East Asia and can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites), fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage ( hepatitis). Do not drink tap water that has not been boiled, this includes ice cubes.  Make sure you drink bottled water from a reputable source. The seal should be snap when you open the bottle. Also, when taking a shower and brushing teeth avoid swallowing large amounts of water. Some people brush their teeth with bottled water. Make sure your food is cooked thoroughly.

Road Safety
Road accidents are a major cause of injury and death for study abroad students. Participants should make sure they follow and strictly adhere to traffic safety. It seems in a lot of developing countries the mantra is that cars and not pedestrians have the right of way. Do not expect cars to yield for you if you do not have the right of way. Do not cross in the middle of roads. If you are walking at night make sure you are wearing gear that is brightly colored and/or wear reflective patches on a backpack. Many streets are not as illuminated as they are in developed countries and some drivers do not always use their headlights. Paying close attention to road safety will help you avoid an accident.

Insurance
Each Resident Director(RD) maintains lists of recommended health and mental health providers. BSA includes a mandatory health insurance policy for every participant in the program fee. Each RD also establishes an emergency phone tree to be activated in the event of a necessity to contact all participants quickly. BSA has established protocols to be used in the event of health emergency, serious accident, political crisis, natural disaster, crime, rape, or death of a participant. For security reasons these documents are not public.

In-Country Orientation
All participants will attend a mandatory orientation upon arrival to the host country. The orientation will be conducted by in-country staff. Morning meeting will be held daily to up-date participants on any pertinent changes, news, etc. for the duration of the program.

Emergencies Abroad
Each BSA Study Abroad Office has contingency plans which will be activated in case there is a known local condition that requires (a) extra caution, or (b) suspension of a program and evacuation of participants. For security reasons these local contingency plans are not available to anyone except BSA staff.

US Embassy Daytime: 010-6532-3431, Weekdays 8am-12pm, 1-5pm
US Embassy After Hours Hotline: 010-6532-1910

In the event of an emergency, no matter where you are in China, dial:
110 for Local Police
114 for Operator
119 for Fire Department
120 for Medical Emergencies
122 for Traffic Emergencies

Beijing - The U.S. Embassy is located at No. 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, the American Citizen Services section can be reached at 0086-10-65323431 ext 5648, 5344, 5028 and 5609 (8:30-12:00 a.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m., Mon-Fri), after hours 0086-10-65321910.  For detailed information please visit the Embassy’s website at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn.

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