Apr 27, 2009 3:10 pm US/Eastern
NYC Air Travelers Weigh Risk Of Unessential Travel
Reporting
Jay Dow
QUEENS (CBS) ―
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Airport personnel checks the temperature of foreign tourists using a thermoscanner on April 27, 2008, during a bird flu outbreak drill at Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar on the resort island of Bali.
Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images
Many international travelers are facing a difficult decision: should they call off their vacations to Mexico or continue as planned?
Continental Airlines Flight 1736 bound for Mexico City would normally be an ordinary flight. Today it's a plane with a potentially dangerous destination.
For Emanuel Soriano, sending his wife and daughter to Mexico, the country at the heart of the swine flu epidemic is an incredibly difficult decision.
"I'm actually very worried about my daughter," said Soriano.
The only consolation: the Sorianos say their relatives live about an hour away from Mexico City, where most of cases have been reported.
So far, U.S. government officials are not taking steps to stop anyone from traveling to Mexico. But they are increasing "passive surveillance."
It's not as extreme as what's happening in Japan, where airport officials are handing out masks upon arrival and using thermo graphic cameras to monitor travelers' body temperature.
But airport security and border patrol officers are asking travelers if they've had a fever or the flu.
Those who even appear to be ill will be stopped and given masks, while arrangements are made for medical care.
Passengers say with each swine flu update, they're less interested in getting on a plane.
"You sit in close quarters with everyone while traveling. You have people who are sick, coughing and stuff," said North Carolina resident Jennifer Jenett.
The good news: even if you've already paid for your flight, it's not too late.
Continental and other carriers say they're now allowing customers to change their flight plans to Mexico without penalty.
Airline officials say they're also working closely with the Centers for Disease Control, and if necessary, will change their travel procedures in response to the outbreak.
Other governments are taking an even more aggressive stance, issuing formal advisories urging citizens not to visit Mexico.
Q&A: What Is Swine Flu?
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