Finding a travel clinic

Where to find one

In the US, travel clinics run through private providers, hospital systems, and chains like Passport Health or CVS Travel Health. Your insurance may cover some vaccines — worth checking before you pay out of pocket, because costs add up fast.

In Europe, most countries have a mix of public and private options. In the Netherlands, GGD runs dedicated travel vaccination clinics (GGD Reizigersvaccinaties) that are reasonably priced and well-organised. In the UK, some NHS GP practices offer travel vaccines — a handful are free on the NHS, others aren't — and private chains like Boots and Superdrug Travel Health are widely available. In Germany, your Hausarzt can handle most routine travel vaccines, with specialist Reisemedizin clinics for more complex itineraries.

Wherever you are, a quick search for "travel clinic near me" or "travel health clinic" will turn up options. Look for clinics with staff who hold a travel medicine qualification — in the US that's a CTH or FISTM credential, in the UK look for MFTM or diplomas from the Faculty of Travel Medicine.

What to bring

Your vaccination records — whatever form they're in. A yellow international certificate booklet, a printout from your GP, a photo on your phone of an old vaccine card. Anything that shows what you've previously had. Without this, the clinic is guessing, and you might end up paying for vaccines you've already had.

Your full itinerary. Not just the country — the regions, the activities, how long you're staying, whether you're in cities or rural areas. A two-week beach holiday in Bali and a month trekking through rural Indonesia are the same country with completely different health profiles. The more detail you give, the better the advice you get.

Any relevant medical history. Allergies, medications you're on, whether you're pregnant or planning to be, any immune conditions. Some vaccines aren't suitable for everyone and the clinic needs to know before they administer anything.

Things to avoid

Leaving it too late. Already covered this but it bears repeating — two weeks before a trip to a high-risk destination is not enough time. You'll either miss vaccines entirely or pay for accelerated schedules that cost more and may be less effective.

Assuming last trip's vaccines still cover you. Some do, some don't. Typhoid lasts around three years. Hepatitis A lasts a lifetime after a full course. Rabies pre-exposure needs boosters depending on ongoing risk. Don't assume — check.

Skipping vaccines because you're "only staying in hotels." Hepatitis A and Typhoid don't care about your hotel rating. You eat out, you're exposed. Rabies doesn't care that you're not planning to pet any animals — bites and scratches happen when you least expect them.

Buying vaccines online or from unregulated sources. This happens more than it should. Travel vaccines need to be stored correctly, administered correctly, and recorded officially — particularly Yellow Fever, where you need a stamped international certificate. An unverified jab is worse than useless for border crossing purposes and potentially dangerous.

Relying solely on what your regular GP says. Some GPs are excellent on travel medicine. Others haven't updated their knowledge in years. For complex itineraries or high-risk destinations, a specialist travel clinic is worth the extra cost.

After the appointment

Keep your vaccination records. The international yellow booklet is the standard — get it stamped and dated for every vaccine you receive. Yellow Fever in particular requires an official stamped certificate for entry to certain countries, and border officials do check. A note on your phone isn't sufficient.

If you're prescribed antimalarials, take them as directed — before, during, and after the trip. The most common reason malaria prophylaxis fails is people stopping the tablets early because they feel fine. The tablets need to clear any parasites that may have entered your system after the last mosquito bite, which can be weeks after you return.