Favor

Cronen - Sandi is so(very long 'O') correct. The travel clinic will want to sell you on everything (yellow fever , meningitis, rabies, encephalitis, etc., etc., etc.)! Many of which, unless you're going into the Peace Corps, aren't worth the cost/trauma/risk. As Sandi also pointed out, be sure to check regulations relating to stopovers as well as your start and end points.

Your best chance of having things covered by insurance is to use your own doctor. This of course is subject to the vagaries of insurance plan formularies and vaccination schedules. It gets more complicated if you have children, because their pediatrician may not regularly stock all the needed vaccines (e.g. ours had never dispensed Hep-A) and of course different formularies and vaccination rules for kids.

Good luck.

divewop

Actually, depending on the travel clinic, a good one should not try to sell you everything. We have a very good clinic that only recommends the necessities for the country(ies) being visited.

Another thing you may try is to go to

www.cdc.gov

Look up the countries you're visiting to get an idea of what you may need. The more informed you are the better.

And ask other people who travel or your family physician who they may recommend.

AAFrequentFlyer

Here in Sarasota, it was the Sarasota County health clinic. I had to make an appointment. I called in late October, and the nurse scheduled me for mid-December. This is the only clinic that does that kind of a thing around here. I did get yellow fever, Hep-A and the Tetnus shots as well as the script for Mallarone. The total cost was around $165. I had to go back a month later for part 2 of the Hep-A.

sandi

Cronen has previously gone over what inocs and meds she needs - the question in her last post was asking for a confirmation that indeed your general physician or pediatrician no longer can handle Yellow Fever.

My recommendation was simply to reconfirm that she has to find a travel clinic associated with a hospital or a standalone raveel clinic or physician that handles Yellow Fever.

In addition to my comments others have also indicated they used either a travel clinic or public health clinic. Also realize the laws in different states dictates where certain meds/inocs are obtainable.

Also, there have been many posts here from travelers being encouraged or pressured to have every inoc for travel even if not required - even Favors original posts indicated "I'm getting much pressure from my local travel clinic to get a yellow fever shot."

I'm certain Cronen will get it all worked out.

Cronen

Thanks everyone. I had researched what I needed before. My daughter's doctor hooked me up with a pediatric infectious disease doc. They recommended at least 5 different shots. So.. again I looked into it (and got lots of info from this board) and decided to only do the yellow fever shot, hep A and malaria pills. Thypoid and the others seemed too extreme. I was under the mistaken impression that the shot was send to our local doctors, as I guess it has to be ordered. I have also read on some posts that it has been covered by some insurances. I felt insurance would more likely cover shots like tetanus and hep A if your own doc. was giving them to you as part of a check up. I just found a infectious disease center in my town and will call them for the yellow fever shot. Also, after really researching requirements, and going so far as to call the Tanzanian Embassy, (I hate shots) who told me they no longer require it, I agree with Sandi and others. It is worth getting the shot because information about whether it is required or not seems to change often. After all the planning and efforts put into an African adventure, I hate to be denied entry into a country because I didn't have my certificate.

divewop

Reading back, which I should have done more thoroughly in the first place (DUH...where was my head?!) I see that Sandi did recommend visiting the CDC site. My bad.

Nobody should be pressured into getting anything unnecessary if traveling into "free zone" areas whether yellow fever or malaria or whatever the case may be.

If that is the case, I would definitely look into finding another clinic/physician to handle your travel needs.
Depending on where you live and your access to them, I know it is easier said than done.

My primary physician did carry Hep A vaccine but it was still not covered by insurance.

I guess traveling to foreign and third world countries is not deemed necessary as a hobby which is why most insurance companies won't cover the necessary vaccines and drugs.

The price we pay to enjoy our travels...and once it gets in your blood, it's hard to not want to do it over and over again!8-)