Travelling abroad? You might need to do more than pack and check that your passport is still valid. Depending on your intended destination, visiting a travel health clinic before you go may be a good idea.

Not sure…

• What travel health clinics are
• What they do
• If you need one
• When you should go
• How to find one?

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s a travel health clinic?

Travel health clinics, also sometimes called travel medical centers or travel vaccine clinics, are facilities that provide preventative medical care for people who travel to foreign countries (abroad).

These facilities are specialized travel health clinics for safe international travel. The trained medical staff provide medications, vaccinations, information, guidance, and other resources to help travelers protect their health and stay safe on their trip.

Information, advice, and precautions provided at these clinics are recommended by public health centers, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example.

What services do travel health clinics offer?

Travel health clinics offer travelers a wide variety of services that typically include (but is not necessarily limited to):

Medical risk assessment
Travel health clinics consider your medical history, your travel itinerary and other factors to assess your medial risk.

Vaccinations
These clinics offer vaccinations against diseases like yellow fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, rabies, measles, rubella, meningococcal meningitis, etc. If you don’t already have the appropriate vaccinations to keep you safe on your travels, you can find out which ones you should (or need to) get.

Medications
They can prescribe medications for the prevention of certain illnesses like traveler’s diarrhea and malaria.

Travel health advice, guidance and recommendations
Travel health clinic professionals are aware of your travel destination’s specific health risks, including any infectious diseases that may be widespread in that geographical region. They can also inform you about any precautions you should take while traveling in that area. Additionally, they may recommend you get certain immunizations required by the country where you’re travelling. Some countries also require you to have a certificate that proves you’ve received the mandatory vaccines before they grant you entry into the country.

Why would I need to go to a travel health clinic?

It’s a smart idea to go to travel health clinics for vaccinations and medical advice if…

• It’s your first time traveling to this destination.
• You are traveling abroad and are unsure of the potential health risks and diseases associated with your travel destination.
• You don’t know whether the country of your travel destination has mandated vaccine requirements.
• You have an existing medical condition.
• You would like travel health and safety recommendations and guidance from knowledgeable professionals.

When should I go to a travel health clinic?

Ideally, the recommendation is to visit a travel health clinic six weeks prior to your travel date.

This will:

• Leave you enough time to receive any necessary vaccinations (some require multiple doses over a period of time).
• Give you the opportunity to discuss any health concerns you may have.
• Allow you to find out if you should be aware of any health issues in the regions you’ll be travelling.

Even if your travel plans happen somewhat last minute, it’s still in your best interest to go to travel health clinics for safe international travel advice and a pre-travel consultation.

How can I find travel health clinics in my area?

Travel health clinics for safe international travel can usually be found in one of the following ways:

• Check with your primary health care physician. They can refer you to a travel health clinic or may be able to provide you with the vaccine(s) you need.
• Talk with your pharmacist. Some offer travel health consultations and may be able to provide you with necessary vaccines.
• Check with your local hospital. They may be able to provide you with vaccines.
• Ask your health insurance provider – It’s not uncommon for these institutions to have a list of travel clinics.
• Check with your country’s public health centers. Many, like the CDC, for example, provide a list of travel clinics across the nation.
• Conduct a search with online health directories. These websites are designed to aid you in finding healthcare facilities and professionals in your country and region.

Once you’ve found prospective travel health clinics, investigate these facilities before booking an appointment. Visit their site (if they have one) and check reviews to see what the experience is like. Once you find one you like, contact the facility to make sure they offer the vaccines and services you require for your travel destination. If they do, book an appointment.

Travel health clinics – The Bottom Line

Going to travel clinics for vaccinations and medical advice puts you in touch with knowledgeable staff who are professionally trained in travel medicine.

These professionals can provide you with any vaccines you may need as well as offer health travel recommendations.

Finally, travel clinics can inform you about current travel advisories, travel warnings, and any other special health precautions you should be aware of prior to your trip.