SUDBURY -- It appears some people haven’t learned a lesson after having previous vacations ruined.

According to a new survey, nearly a third of us have contracted a stomach bug on a previous trip and a quarter of us know someone who had a serious illness, but only 23 per cent of us seek travel advice from a healthcare professional.

Sudbury pharmacist Catherine Nolin says it’s a more common problem than some might think.

She says “It is a common question that we get in the pharmacy and we recommend that you plan your trip about six to eight weeks before you leave, that gives you a chance to look at what you might need for vaccinations and over-the-counter medications,” 

Nolin says that even applies to travellers to the United States, suggesting they research where they’re heading, watch what they eat and use good hygiene for that added layer of protection.

“There are different types of vaccines, there’s Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, there’s typhoid vaccine, there’s yellow vaccine, there’s all sorts of travel vaccines that are available and many pharmacies have that service available,” added Nolin.

Kati McCartney is no stranger to planning for her trips. She and her husband are frequent flyers and she’s constantly watching to make sure their shots are up to date.

“We’ve travelled a few times so our vaccinations are always up to date but I check in on them if it’s a new country that I haven’t visited, we’re going to the Dominican so it’s pretty standard knowing what we need,” she said.

Andre Michaud and his wife will soon be headed to the Dominican Republic for his granddaughter’s wedding. They haven’t been to the island in roughly 40 years.

They’ve seen the commercials and heard the horror stories, they’re now good to go.

“Whatever you ingest over there, ice cubes, water or whatever, so I spoke to our doctor and he said yes we should get the shots,” he said.

Nolin suggests anyone who has questions shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to their local pharmacist.

“Ask them for advice on what to bring and how they can be prepared for their trip, we’re an under-utilized service and we’re available 24/7 basically and hopefully people can have a vacation without any problems,” she said.