Since it was confirmed that the Zika virus has reached Florida, many theme parks and water parks in the Sunshine State are now are offering free mosquito repellent. This will keep visitors safe from these nasty insects. It will also make sure that there’s no chance of them contracting one of the many mosquito-borne diseases these bugs can carry.
Hand sanitizer has long been something that you absolutely need to take to a theme park or a water park. So many bacteria float around these types of places that you need to protect yourself from them somehow. In light of the Zika virus outbreak—as well as the other diseases associated with mosquitoes—some theme parks are taking it one step further.
They’ve begun to provide free mosquito repellent to their visitors. This ensures that children, adults, and anyone else who visits these parks can avoid these mosquito-borne diseases.
Where Did This Begin?
Three gigantic Florida theme parks, Universal Orlando, Sea World, and Disney World, began this initiative. The reason was to eliminate any fear tourists might have about the Zika virus or some of the other common mosquito-borne diseases. They wanted to make sure people would keep visiting their parks and having fun there.
Zika virus is especially dangerous to pregnant women. Since these theme parks are visited by young families who are often expecting, the Zika virus really is a big threat. So, tourists can now be safe, even if they leave their mosquito repellent at home! This is a welcome and prospective change for some of Florida’s most magical places.
What Could the Future Hold?
This free mosquito repellent could prevent thousands of people from getting Zika. This initiative could also be a way of limiting the spread of the Zika virus in Florida and other states as well. Caution and prevention could be the most efficient ways to slow down the spread of Zika in the U.S. If these prevention tools are available for free, then people are more likely to use them.
These theme parks are working together with the government and organizations like the Center for Disease Control. This means that their free mosquito repellent policy could be a key element in the fight against Zika in Florida and the U.S. overall.
Conclusion
But how do they plan to get the theme and water park visitors to actually pick up the free repellent? These parks haven’t only set up the bottles of repellent on desks in strategic places, like near the entrances. They’re also giving out fliers that highlight why people should use the repellent.
Among these reasons is that the best way to avoid getting Zika is by not getting bitten by mosquitoes. This is true. It’s also the main reason you should use mosquito repellents and wear protective clothing. Do this whenever you’re somewhere the disease vector mosquitoes live to make sure you stay safe.