“Doctor, can children travel?”

If all goes well, “From relatives in Sicily.” And couldn’t you offer airfare to grandparents?. Otherwise, and believe us, it is frequent: Zanzibar, New York, Mexico. Watch out. Nonverbal communication is dangerous, remain impassive, mind you. “And when would you plan to leave?” “Well, next month.” “But you will have 5 months!!!!.”All right, we’ve gambled away our self-control, let’s try to regain some professionalism. Where do I start: type of travel, vaccinations, risk from pressurization, infectious diseases, infectious fevers, health care abroad? Let’s analyze: airlines have removed any age limit; when dinosaurs were still flying, the national airlines did not board children younger than 12 months, then 9, then…

Children can go up to 2,500 meters above sea level, and theplane, it seems to me, should be pressurized at 2,000/2,500, so we’re not there here. “Consider that vaccines have not yet done their job, that two doses are not enough to result in effective seroconversion.” No, ebete, translate, “There are not yet enough antibodies to consider him protected.” Already better, come on, let’s get on with some terrorism. ” And we’ re only talking about the diseases we vaccinate him for, then there are those for which there is no vaccine. Look at that, if you go to Zanzibar, the mosquito with malaria is colorblind and can’t see whether you are white, black, red or yellow “. “But the travel agency said that in Zanzibar, or the Caribbean or Egypt, malaria is not there this season.”

In the parents’ eyes I see the beach, the umbrella, the selfies and complete disinterest in what I can say. Let’s try again, “You should consider that he could have any fever, which already destabilizes you here, let alone there, which requires a visit, even a general one, but by someone with some experience.” “There‘s the resort doctor and then the resort is clean, we’ve seen the pictures.” I think: there is no story Fatty, they take you who knows where and I can’t spare you. Let’s give it one last try, let’s throw in the practical: ” But wouldn’t it be better to leave him or her with Grandma and go alone on a real vacation, maybe when he or she is one year old, and that way you can relax? He or she will have absolutely no memory of this vacation anyway, so it will be as if he or she never took it “. Big mistake, big mistake. “And you want me to abandon my son to go on vacation alone!?”

The little guy looks at me questioningly: what could a Zanzibar be? Does it eat, drink, move? Stroke of genius! Yes, I realize, hardly believable, but even a male doctor can have a stroke of genius. “Consider that, you’ll have to be at the airport two hours early, and if it’s a charter equipped with a lot of luck–that you’ll have to board the stroller and various paraphernalia, that you’ll have suitcases, that he might start crying at any time, that at the very least he’ll poop while you’re on the airplane ladder and the turbulence won’t allow you to go to the bathroom to change the cloth. All those hours in the airplane with a baby whining and disturbing the whole plane. And you may be sick and who will be thinking about the baby…. “.

At this point let’s stop if we don’t also conjure up earthquake, locusts and asteroid falling to earth… I can see the panic in daddy’s eyes, though, as he sees himself swamped with suitcases-bags-carrycot-baby-bottle. Come on, we can make it, baby! That time went well: they postponed the trip. But in reality there are problems that have no easy solution: families who suddenly have to return to their home country, taking a flight, have to take their children with them as well.

So technically children, even small ones-and think of those born on barges arriving from African shores-can travel, with the precaution of not exceeding 2,500 meters in altitude and, if possible, traveling slowly. But it is not always essential.