Asthma, holidays and travel

6) Your child’s medication –before you travel

  • Make sure that you take enough of your child’s regular medicines to last for the whole trip. Let your GP /Pharmacist know  of your plans so that arrangements can be made in advance to get all the medicines your child will need.
  • If your child has medication given by injection for example insulin or an Epipen you must ask you GP or nurse to write a letter to take with you to inform cabin crew so they can safely dispose of used needles. You or your child must be able to do the injections yourselves as cabin staff will not normally do this.
  • Ask your doctor or nurse to provide a letter describing your child’s asthma and medication. This is useful should they become unwell abroad. If you are travelling by plane it will also be required by airport security.

Helpful information to include in the letter is:

  • Your name and address
  • Your date of birth
  • Your dates of travel in and out of the country
  • The country you are visiting
  • The medicines you are taking, including the doses and the total amounts The trade names of some medicines may vary from country to country, so it helps to record the drug (generic) names of your medicines, as well as the trade (brand) names.