Traveler’s Clinic

All travelers to foreign lands, both adults and children, can benefit from pre-travel consultation. Certain persons at higher risk may require specific interventions including adventure travelers, humanitarian/medical providers, immunocompromised persons, those with chronic diseases, those who will be living abroad for a long time, those visiting friends and family, those seeking medical treatment, women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, young children, and others.

Certain regions are highest risk for travel and should prompt strong consideration of referral to a travel specialist:

• Africa
• Asia, especially southeast Asia and Middle East
• South America
• Central America
• Caribbean (several new diseases have become prominent)
• Eastern Europe
• Depending on traveler’s activities, areas of Western Europe,
• Australia, and other locations can be risky

Of note, certain vaccines, including yellow fever and polio vaccines, are required for entry into or exit from some countries.

For those preparing to travel abroad, the pre-travel visit ideally will be scheduled 4-6 weeks before departure.

In addition to immunizations and prescriptions, our providers offer travel-related counseling, including a pre-travel physical, health concerns in certain areas of the world, and where to get health care when you are traveling.

Individualized risk assessment will be performed for each patient based on itinerary and patient-specific factors. Travel-related vaccines will be available on-site.

Malaria and traveler’s diarrhea risk will be evaluated and appropriate prevention strategies will be provided, including prescriptions for prophylaxis and/or self-treatment. Bloodborne pathogen and STD prevention will be discussed as well.

Behavioral prevention strategies will be provided, including discussion and pamphlets about insect bite prevention, food and water safety, and other prevention issues depending on itinerary and travel plans. Issues besides infections will be covered as well, including vehicle and in-flight safety, altitude/scuba illnesses, thrombosis prevention, swimming hazards, etc.

Any patient who visits the clinic will have access to the EPIC MyChart application to contact the travel physician should issues arise while on the trip.

The vaccines required for travel vary depending on the country you are traveling to. Certain vaccines, including yellow fever and polio vaccines, may be required for entry into or exit from some countries. Your individual needs will be assessed during your visit, and any required vaccines will be administered at that time.

Post-travel appointments are available for any travel related concerns, including:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Rashes
• Infectious disease screening (TB, STIs)

Unfortunately, most health insurance companies generally do not pay for visits to travel clinics. For this reason, most visits will require self-pay. Most of the cost of the visits represents the cost of vaccine. It is possible that some of the vaccines may be reimbursable by the patient’s individual insurance after the visit is concluded. We will run all claims through your insurance provider to confirm. Check with your provider for your levels of coverage.

Regardless, travel consultation is highly advised for traveler health and safety. Often, after an initial visit, the cost of the visits for future travel drops significantly because necessary vaccines have already been given.

To make an appointment, call Sentara Martha Jefferson Medical & Surgical Associates at 434-654-5260.