Dan’s recent email to the group re: his health center visit reminded me to make this post. Per previous emails to you, our informal discussions, status reports, and most importantly, the “legal paperwork” each of you filled out when you signed up for the trip in January, it’s up to each of of you as individuals to decide what medical prevention steps you wish to take before you leave for China on June 15.  Dr. Wu and I (and Cal Poly) are not medical professionals and cannot provide you with medical advice.  Thus, to that end, per the paperwork you filled out in January you were directed to monitor the WHO, US Embassy in China (see, e.g., their link on Travel Advisories), the CDC, US State Department, etc. web sites (see the “Links” section of this blog where each is posted) and/or work with your medical doctor and/or the health clinic on campus re: how you wish to proceed on the medical front.  We CAN report that there are no required shots to enter and travel in China that we are aware of, although I have known some who travel to China get a Hepatitis B and C shot before they leave the US (I personally have no plans to do that).  The places we will visit in China most would describe as less ”risky” from a health standpoint than the places many of you will subsequently visit in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.  Again, though, how you proceed and whether the steps you take are prudent or financial overkill are up to you to work with a medical professional to decide.   Re: the avian flu issue, that, of course, is something in particular we need to continue to monitor and per the web sites I note above China remains in the clear on that front — note that we primarly visit the metropolitan areas of Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing, with the exception of the more rural areas near Suzhou and Hangzhou.  Of course, if a new material public development appears on the avian flu front (or the political risk front) we will report it to the group and decide how to proceed.