Travel vaccinations

When planning an international trip, your mind may immediately wander to all the leisure activities you’re looking forward to. But it’s also important to plan for your health and safety.

At Advocate Health Care, we provide travel vaccinations, medications and other services to protect you and your family. With multiple convenient locations throughout the Chicago metro area, we make it easy to get the travel medicine services you need. Our international travel clinic specialists help you stay healthy so you can get the most out of your trip.

What are travel vaccinations?

Travel vaccinations are the immunizations you need to stay safe when traveling abroad. Specific vaccines are required for travel to certain countries. Others protect you from illnesses that are more common in other countries than in the U.S.

Getting the proper travel vaccinations can help you avoid getting sick during your trip. It also helps lower the risk of bringing a disease back home or spreading it to others.

Who needs travel vaccines?

Most people should get travel vaccines before visiting another country, even if you’re traveling for pleasure or to visit loved ones. These people may also need to get travel vaccines:

• Business or government travelers
• Employees of a nongovernmental organizations (NGO)
• Humanitarian aid workers
• Parents planning to adopt a child from another country
• Students in a study-abroad program or on spring break

What are the essential travel vaccinations?

Before you travel, you should make sure you’re up to date on all your routine vaccinations, such as:

• Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine
• COVID vaccine
• Flu shot
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Meningococcal vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Shingles vaccine
• Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine

What additional travel vaccinations might I need?

Depending on your history and the country you’re visiting, you may need additional travel vaccines:

• Dengue fever vaccine
• Hepatitis A and B vaccines
• Japanese encephalitis vaccine
• Meningitis vaccine
• Rabies vaccine
• Typhoid vaccine
• Yellow fever vaccine

Side effects of travel vaccinations

Serious side effects to travel vaccinations are rare, but mild side effects can happen. Most often, you’ll experience pain, redness or swelling at the injection site. Some other side effects can include:

• Chills
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Low-grade fever
• Muscle aches

Most of these symptoms are mild and will go away on their own after a couple days. If your side effects become worse, reach out to your health care provider immediately.

What are the timing and planning considerations for travel vaccinations?

Experts recommend visiting a travel clinic at least four to six weeks before your trip. It takes several days or weeks for your body to build up adequate immunity after receiving a vaccine. Many travel vaccinations also require more than one dose. Seeing a health care provider at least four weeks before your trip helps ensure you have enough time to get the right care.

How long before travel should I get the hepatitis A vaccination?

You should get the hepatitis A vaccination several months before traveling to a country where the disease is common. Hepatitis A is a two-dose vaccine series given six months apart. Getting the two-dose series will provide the most protection against hepatitis A. However, if you don’t have enough time to get both doses before your trip, receiving just the first dose will still provide some protection.

Where do I get my travel vaccinations?

Your primary care provider may offer the routine vaccinations you need before travel. These can include vaccines for shingles, Tdap, chickenpox and more. However, most primary care providers don’t carry the vaccines required for international travel. When visiting another country, the best place to go is a travel clinic.

At these clinics, travel medicine specialists discuss your itinerary with you and provide personalized guidance to help you stay safe. They recommend vaccines and give you any necessary immunizations onsite.

Does insurance cover travel vaccinations?

Coverage for travel vaccinations varies depending on your plan. Routine vaccines like the shingles vaccine or Tdap vaccine are typically covered, but sometimes specific travel vaccinations, like the yellow fever vaccine, aren’t covered. It’s best to review your insurance plan to determine which travel vaccinations are covered and which you might have to pay out of pocket.

What to expect during your visit to the travel clinic

You’ll need to bring the following items:

• Health insurance card
• Photo identification to verify your insurance, such as a passport, driver’s license or government ID
• Travel itinerary
• Vaccination records

You’ll meet with one of our travel medicine specialists to review your itinerary and medical needs. This provider:

• Answers your questions
• Evaluates your current health and medical history
• Prescribes medications as needed
• Provides vaccinations as needed

Plan for your appointment to last around 90 minutes. We recommend you receive all your travel vaccinations at one location for a more accurate health record.

Travel clinic services

Our travel clinics provide exams, travel vaccines and medical treatment before you visit another country. We also offer:

• Contact information for local doctors and emergency facilities in the countries you plan to visit
• Corporate accounts if you have employees who need our services
• International Certificate of Vaccinations or Prophylaxis (ICVP)
• Medical examinations for immigration
• Medications for travel conditions such as traveler’s diarrhea, altitude sickness and malaria
• Personalized advice, information about potential risks at your destination, and appropriate precautions based on your age, health history and itinerary
• Recommendations for travel first aid kits

International travel clinics in the Chicago metro area

Start planning your trip today by scheduling an appointment with one of our international travel clinics. We provide travel consultations in multiple convenient locations throughout the Chicago metro area.