You may remember this post I wrote regarding travel health concerns. In it, I mentioned Passport Health, a series of clinics all over the U.S. which will prepare you with important safety information as well as immunizations and prescriptions for the destinations you plan to visit. Over the weekend, Will and I paid Passport Health a visit for an upcoming trip. Here’s how it went down:

Hours are by appointment so we were able to set up a convenient Saturday slot. Companions or groups, can schedule a joint visit so we went in together. After the first patient, additional travellers get a discounted fee.

When we arrived, a registered nurse presented us with a booklet, labelled with our names, all about the country we intend to visit. She went through the book highlighting all health concerns and detailing what safety precautions were recommended. She listed out all the shots necessary for the trip and explained the diseases they were for.

Appointments should be made at least 5 weeks before an impending trip but Will and I made ours 6 months ahead so we could split up the shots we needed and have plenty of time to prepare. After administering our chosen vaccinations, the nurse scheduled a follow up appointment with us for the second round. On our next visit, about a month before the trip, we will finish our shots and pick up prescriptions. We will be given required documentation of our immunizations to present when entering our destination country. We’ll likely pick up a couple of small kits, sold at the clinic, which contain recommended insect repellents and non-prescription medications.

We had to pay upfront for our visit, but were given the appropriate forms to submit to our medical insurance company. The office will keep track of all our immunizations as well as send copies to our primary care doctors.

Overall, it was a very positive experience and I recommend Passport Health to anyone planning a trip. I know I will be back many times to prepare for travels ahead!

Passport Health