Travel Vaccinations

So you want to study abroad, travel to another country on vacation, do some missionary work, or even just travel the world, what should you worry about other than what to pack and when you should get your passport? One of the biggest issues that people should be concerned with when they're planning an overseas trip to somewhere foreign whether it be to the jungles of Africa, to the deserts of Egypt, or any other country is the issue of what vaccinations they should get before they leave the country. Many questions that they should be forming in their minds before they leave are:

• What are the potential risks of going to this country that I could encounter?
• What hazards to they have in their country that we don't usually worry about in ours?
• Do they have the same schedules and regulations for vaccinations that we have here?
• Who do I talk to about what vaccines I need? 
• How much will these vaccines cost and are they covered by insurance?
• Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Many of these questions are easily answered by what we now refer to as Travel Clinics. Although finding out what vaccinations you'd need to travel to another country can be done by your doctor, we all know how much of a hassle it is to try and get in to see your doctor, not to mention that there will probably be an $80.00 fee just for having to make an appointment in the first place, even if it is covered by insurance. So what other option is there? Travel clinics, many of which are now located within the pharmacy are becoming more and more popular between frequent travelers. The pharmacy that I work at (Hy-Vee) has a registered pharmacist who is licensed and has passed all the necessary certification needed to be able to conduct travel vaccination sessions. There is a $25.00 session fee for the pharmacist to go over when to set up the appointment to get your vaccinations, what vaccinations you should get, the information about the medications that you will be receiving, and also other facts such as what to stay away from in the country you'll be visiting.

Many of the travel counsel patients that we see at our pharmacy are men and women who are being deployed overseas  and also different students who are going to study abroad in different countries.  So when you find out that you're going to be traveling to somewhere when is a good time to start thinking about this?

Usually at least 4 to 6 weeks before you plan to leave the country you should try to contact your travel clinic to set up an appointment. That way you'll have plenty of time to get prescriptions from your doctor for the shots that you need-which can be taken over the phone by the pharmacist-and set up different times to get the required shots that you need as well. 

In general what vaccinations are usually required? 

Well it definitely depends on what area you're going to, and this can be dependent on many different physiological factors as well. Yellow fever vaccination is always required when traveling to or from different countries-the majority of which is Africa. Other vaccinations are usually recommended by the US CDC depending on where you go, along with these other contributing factors: 

1. Do you plan to visit rural areas?
2. What season will you be traveling in there?
3. Your age
4. Health Status
5. What vaccinations you've had previously

So with regards to the last fact statement there, what vaccinations you've previously had, this means that you should make sure that you're up to date with all your current vaccinations, had all your boosters, and get the recommended vaccinations for your country as well. 

Once you've decided what shots you're going to be receiving and knowing what days you'll be receiving them there's always the question of: what is this going to cost me?

That part is then discovered by your pharmacy, where they run the prescription for the vaccination like any other regular prescription and they submit the claim to your insurance company who will either reject the claim, or pay for the claim. It all is dependent on what kind of insurance you've signed up for, and whether or not that insurance company covers travel vaccines, many of which do not. So what are ball park ranges for prices if I don't get covered?

These prices can range anywhere from less than $100.00 to over $1,000 all depending on how many vaccinations you're getting, and what type of vaccinations you're getting. For patients that aren't covered the cost for a usual travel vaccinations at the clinic includes: 

• Consultation fee $25.00
• A shot administration fee anywhere from $5.00 to $15.00 (per shot in some pharmacies)
•  And the cost of the actual vaccine itself which usually range from less than $10 per dose up to $150 or more per dose, depending on what disease state you're trying to prevent, and many of these vaccinations require multiple injections spanned over a few weeks.

Being able to prepare for traveling to another country is more than just knowing that you've packed your sunscreen and a toothbrush, its knowing that you're doing everything you can to prevent harm to yourself by being in a location that you're not used to.