Travel Medicine Clinic

Planning to travel for study abroad, volunteer work, or just a vacation? Going to visit friends or family in another country over winter, spring, or summer break? Schedule a pre-travel visit with the Primary Care Health Service before you go!

You may need:

• required and recommended vaccines
• prescription medication
• travel health counseling

Plan Ahead

You may need to update routine vaccines or you may need recommended or required vaccines based on travel destination.

Please visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Our recommendations are based on the CDC and our travel medicine software, TRAVAX. TRAVAX is updated monthly with information from the CDC, the State Department and the World Health Organization (WHO).

If you are traveling outside of the US especially if you are going to Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Central or South America, Eastern Europe, Mexico, the Middle East and/or the Pacific you should schedule a pre-travel visit.

For those individuals going to Western European countries such as England, Ireland, Spain, Austria and Germany please make sure your routine vaccines are updated. The CDC recommends routine vaccines to be up to date and Hepatitis B vaccine series for Western European countries. (http://www.cdc.gov/travel)

It is important to plan ahead as some vaccines require a series of injections and must be completed a month or more in advance.

A pre-travel visit consists of any needed vaccination and travel health counseling. Country-specific risks and precautions will be discussed.

Among the infectious diseases that may be discussed are tuberculosis, malaria, and dengue.

Travel health counseling covers topics which include water and food precautions, sun/heat protection and personal protective measures against mosquitoes and insects that carry disease. Depending on your personal itinerary you may need prescriptions for malaria, traveler's diarrhea, altitude sickness prevention and more.

Travel Health Services

• Physical exams for students traveling internationally i.e. in study abroad programs, Peace Corp, etc. Note: Physicals related to travel are to be scheduled with a Nurse Practitioner or Physician

• Current and individualized health risk information

• Review of travel itinerary, previous immunizations, and individual health needs

• Advice on recommended and/or required immunizations

• ICVP-International Certificate of Vaccination will be provided if you receive yellow fever vaccine

• Information on malaria prophylaxis, as well as on prevention and/or treatment of travel related illnesses specific to your destinations

• Prescriptions for malaria, travelers’ diarrhea, altitude illness

• Recommendations for traveler’s first aid kit

• Post Travel Care and consultation as needed

• Insurance: Students with Aetna Student Health insurance receive travel health benefits under On Call International. This includes unlimited medical evacuation. For more information on benefits, visit their website:  www.oncallinternational.com
  Students without Aetna Student Health should contact their insurance providers for more information on possible travel health coverage.

Vaccines Available at PCHS

TB skin test (screening for Tuberculosis) also available- no fee

We will refer out for Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines to The Interchurch Center 

Credit card or check, no cash

Appointment Information

We advise you to schedule an appointment 4-6 weeks in advance prior to your trip. There are no walk-in appointments for travel vaccines

To schedule a pre-travel visit call (212) 854-2091.

If travel is going to occur less than 4-6 weeks, it is still best to schedule an appointment in order to provide some measure of protection.

Please Note: Once your appointment is scheduled you will need to complete a Travel_Itinerary_Questionnaire

The questionnaire must be sent to Primary Care (by fax or by dropping the form off at the front desk) before your visit. By knowing about your travel plans before you come in, we're able to provide you with the most complete information to keep you well on your trip!

This needs to be sent back ASAP: 5  days to 1 week prior to appointment. Secondly, your most recent Vaccine Record should be faxed from your outside doctor to 212-854-2702. If you have in your possession a copy, you can drop it off to the front desk prior to your scheduled visit. 

You must bring your insurance card to you travel health appointment.

Late or Cancellation: If you are running late, please call the front desk and the RN will decide if the remaining time is enough for visit or the need to reschedule. If you are unable to make your appointment, please let us know 24 hrs or more in advance so that your time slot can be given to another student.

Post-travel follow-up

After you return from your travels, you should see a medical provider if you:

• Spent 3 months or more in rural areas in the developing world
• Were told you had or suspected to have malaria
• Treated or hospitalized  for medical illness
• Continue to have unusual ongoing symptoms
• Engaged in activities that may have exposed you to increased health risks
• Freshwater exposure in high risk area, may need to be followed for schistosomiasis

Additional Resources

www.cdc.gov/travel

www.who.int/

www.immunize.org

www.travel.state.gov

Questions?
Contact Primary Care at 212-854-2091.

Travel Safe. Travel Wise.