Would you cancel your trip to destinations affected by the Zika Virus? Survey says…
You betcha.
In fact, according to our recent Zika travel survey, 64% of Americans said they would cancel their travel plans amid the Zika virus outbreak.
Women seem to be most concerned about the virus… and with good reason: many health officials believe Zika is linked to miscarriages and birth defects such as Microcephaly. Correspondingly, a whopping 69% of all women stated they would cancel their travel plans to countries affected by Zika, whereas 41% of men said they are more likely to proceed with their travel plans.
This concern is likely correlated with recent warnings put forth by international health authorities. The WHO declared a Public Health Emergency for International Concern and the CDC issued an Alert – Level 2 for travelers to affected areas—including popular winter destinations like Puerto Rico, Mexico, and even Brazil—which also has many people questioning their travel plans ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio.
However, our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Wheeler, says travelers shouldn’t panic. Instead, they should properly educate themselves on how to best avoid getting infected with the virus. You can read Dr. Wheeler’s preventative advice and additional findings from our Zika travel survey in our latest infographic:
Zika is an evolving news story; be sure to check with trusted sources such as your travel risk management provider, the CDC, State Department and WHO for the most up-to-date information on the Zika Virus.
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected].
