Going on a summer vacation? There are no guarantees, of course, but a few simple steps can help you avoid medical mishaps while you’re away from home, notes the August 2011 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

For international travelers, the first stop should be www.cdc.gov/travel, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information about vaccinations you might need and disease outbreaks you should be aware of.

The Health Letter also has suggestions for those vacationing closer to home as well as for visitors to far-flung places. Here are four of them:

1) Mind your feet. Especially if it’s a sightseeing or hiking vacation, you’re going to be spending more time on your feet than you do at home. Good, sensible shoes are the first line of defense. Pack some moleskin and small Band-Aids in case of blisters.

2) Don’t mess with your meds. Some people may be tempted to combine a “drug holiday” with their work holiday. That's a really bad idea. Abruptly quitting a drug can cause all sorts of problems that you don’t want to be dealing with when you should be enjoying your vacation.

3) Screen your sun worship. Dermatologists may cringe, but who doesn’t seek out a little extra sun while on a summer vacation? That makes sunscreen on vacation all the more important, especially if you have pale skin and are suddenly exposing it to a lot of sunshine.

4) Pack the Purell or some other hand sanitizer. Many infections are spread through hand-to-mouth transmission. Vacation can put you in some pretty germy places. You may also end up doing things that get your hands dirtier than usual. Soap and clean water can be hard to find, especially if you’re traveling somewhere off the beaten path.

Read the full-length article: "Happy - and healthy - trails to you"