Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do travelers need a travel consultation, instead of just shots?
- What do I need to know?
- What vaccinations do I need to go to Brazil, Haiti, China, and other countries?
- Can't I just go to my doctor for travel shots?
- What can I expect?
- When should I do this?
- What if I am traveling with a child?
- Does insurance cover this / how do I pay?
- How do I arrange for an appointment?
Travelers may receive all immunizations possible, but not all diseases are vaccine preventable, and not all threats are from disease. During their hour long appointment, we teach the following…
Travel Medicine is not just about vaccinations. It involves several factors which include your destination, type of travel, accommodations, altitude, time of the year, what you will be doing and how long you will be staying there. At Passport Health we will provide you with information regarding the requirements of your destination country, and also recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization) so you can make an informed decision on the choices you have for your trip.
The misconception in asking this question is that a traveler should worry about only the diseases that a host country fears from foreign visitors. No country requires a traveler to take prescription pills for protection against malaria. Yet, without vaccines for travel, and without the additional protection of mosquito netting and repellants, travelers are at risk to contract malaria. So the first question should be, "What does the Centers for Disease Control say I should have for protection against disease in Brazil (Haiti, China, etc)?"
Yes, but unless your doctor happens to specialize in travel medicine,
he or she will:
- Have to do extensive research to determine what medications you need.
- Probably not have the necessary documents to record your vaccines for travel.
- Have to charge you far more due to small vaccine purchases
- Cannot economically spend an hour with you to duplicate the health and safety information we provide.
- Will probably not be aware of current health alerts and personal security issues at your destination.
What can I expect? back to top
You will be meeting with one of our Travel Nurse Consultants. They are all Registered Nurses (RNs) or Nurse Practitioners (A.R.N.P.), and have completed extensive training in Travel Medicine. Vaccinations are only one component that will be covered. It is equally important to educate travelers about food and water safety, treatment for traveler's diarrhea, altitude sickness, insect borne illnesses, and diseases that are not vaccine preventable.
When should I do this? back to top
The CDC recommends taking care of your travel medicine needs four to six weeks before traveling. You do need to know, however, that some vaccines for travel need to be taken more than once in order to provide maximum immunity. Some vaccines, once taken, may not need to be repeated for quite some time. Other vaccines provide lifetime immunity. Your travel nurse will advise you regarding the length of immunity you can expect from each vaccine.
What if I am traveling with a child? back to top
Passport Health provides Travel Medicine for children as well. The children often require immunizations in addition to their routine childhood immunizations. Our Travel Nurse will be happy to discuss this with you.
Does insurance cover this? back to top
We are commonly asked whether we accept health insurance for travel vaccinations. Most health insurance plans don't cover vaccines for travel. The insurance companies' view is that you are electing to travel therefore it is elective medicine.
Because of this, Passport Health is not a Medicare provider, does not accept any insurance plans, and we do not do any insurance processing or filing of claims. All fees must be paid in full at the time of service. We do, however, provide you with a receipt that has all the proper information and codes to be submitted to your insurance company.
This means that if your insurance company covers any of the travel vaccinations you received, they will reimburse you according to the terms of your health insurance policy. You may be interested in travel health insurance for coverage that regular insurance may not provide.
Passport Health accepts American Express, Visa, Mastercard, personal checks and cash.
How do I arrange for an appointment? back to top
Contact our office by phone at (502) 423-9799, or toll free at 1 (888) 499-7277.