BugOff and MASTA run Pop-Up Travel Health Clinic at Heathrow Airport

A bustling Heathrow Airport was treated to what can only be described as a startling surprise on their arrival into International Departures. Travellers arriving into Terminal 2 were greeted by a tropical pest – the comic yet terrifying Mozzie Mel – to kick off this year’s Bug Off! summer campaign, headed by Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes.

The Bug Body Ready event at Heathrow was truly a tropical vision: cocktails, Hawaiian leis, deckchairs and one gigantic mosquito stood amongst a sea of suitcases, passports and travel pillows. Along with MASTA Travel Health Clinic, the arctec team chatted to holiday-goers about how to best protect themselves against mosquitoes and other biting insects, as well as providing last minute travel advice before jetting off abroad.

A staggering 74% of us travel to tropical destinations without seeking travel health advice or taking a repellent with us, according to an arctec survey conducted at last year’s Heathrow Airport event. So many of us are putting ourselves at risk of contracting mosquito borne diseases without knowing the circumstances of being bitten.

The Bug Off! campaign aims to highlight the importance of using insect repellents when travelling to tropical countries where insects can spread disease. Armed with the goal of saving lives through creating a loud buzz about staying Bug Body Ready, the campaign seeks to educate on how best to protect against mosquito borne diseases like malaria, dengue and Zika and ensuring that everyone travels safely.

So the best piece of advice from yesterday? Don’t leave it to the last minute.

If you know you’re making a tropical getaway, make sure to head to your GP or a travel health clinic 4-6 weeks before going away. Travel health clinics like MASTA can provide travel consultations as well as vaccinations, travel medication and other travel accessories to meet all your travel health requirements before departing on your adventure.

Remember: you’re always better off safe than bitten.

We here at Bug Off! headquarters would like to thank our Platinum sponsor Craghoppers, as well as our other sponsors MASTA, HANSK, Citrefine, Go Travel and Anglo European Trading for joining us in our mission to provide the world with vital travel health information.

Join the buzz on Twitter: @BugOff_2016 #BugBodyReady

Visit the Bug Off! 2016 website here: www.bug-off.org