The New York Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine specializes in a variety of travel clinic services. If you need travel vaccinations, be sure to visit our Manhattan travel medicine office. Whether you are traveling to Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, or anywhere else on the planet, you can be sure that our travel doctor, Dr. Connor, and his professional, kind, and courteous team at our International Travel Health Clinic can prepare you for your trip. Our travel clinic uses the latest techniques and advancements in travel medicine to ensure that your trip is as healthy as possible. During the consultation with our travel providers, we will determine which travel vaccines are recommended for your specific travel needs.
Travel Clinic Services Q & A
What Is Travel Medicine?
Travel medicine is an interdisciplinary specialty concerned with the prevention and management of health problems associated with travel.
The travel health practitioner is an expert in destination-specific health risks and preventive measures. Travel medicine specialists address and respond to travelers’ disease, epidemic, and vaccination issues, and monitor governmental and regulatory agencies such as the CDC and WHO.
Many people are surprised to learn that some doctors and nurses specialize in health issues related to travel.
Travel Medicine evolved in response to a need among leisure and business travelers for accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information on destination-specific health risks.
Pre-Travel Consultation: What is a Pre-Travel Consultation?
A pre-travel consultation is an office visit designed to provide you with the information you need to understand any potential health risks associated with your travel plans, including diseases that are present and prevalent in your destination location. The Travel Health Center is part of the New York Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine, offering in-depth information about potential disease risks from food and water sources as well as insect-borne diseases and diseases that may be passed by other infected people or animals. During your consultation, you’ll receive information about available vaccines and when and how often they should be administered for optimal effectiveness. You’ll also receive details about how to avoid disease risks to decrease your risk of contracting serious illnesses, including malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever and typhoid fever.
I’m planning to relocate overseas; Should I Schedule a Pre-Travel Consultation, or Is the Consultation Just for Itinerant Travelers?
No, Travel Health Services offers consultation services for people who are relocating to other areas of the world, as well as for those planning extended vacations or stays associated with work, pleasure, research or for other reasons. In addition, Travel Health Services offers special consultation for international adoption and for people who have special needs as well as pre-existing medical conditions.
How Soon Should I Schedule a Pre-Travel Consultation?
Ideally, you should schedule your consultation appointment as soon as you have confirmed your travel dates. Scheduling in advance ensures you’ll have ample time to receive the vaccinations you need to avoid serious infections and diseases. Additionally, you’ll receive other information that can help ensure you understand the disease and health risks you’ll be facing, as well as how and where to get treatment in your destination if you contract a disease.
Yellow Fever Vaccine: Do I Really Need a Yellow Fever Vaccine?
Have you ever found yourself planning a trip and at the last minute you realize that you missed a major detail? All of a sudden you are saying “oh my God! I cannot get into the country without a Yellow Fever vaccine!” So you wind up searching endlessly on Google to find a nearby travel clinic that can give you the shot today because you are leaving in two days, and as you are frantically searching for a place, a thought comes to you. “Do I really need a Yellow Fever vaccine?”
We have all been there. Some of us have planned trips to the Amazon with plans to hike and camp and catch our dinner, without ever giving second thought to Yellow Fever or even Malaria for that matter. So for those of us who never really understood why the vaccine is important, here is Yellow Fever summed up in a few sentences.
Yellow Fever occurs in tropical sub-Saharan Africa and in the rainforests of tropical South America. Transmitted by infected mosquitoes, Yellow Fever infection causes fever, severe liver issues, acute kidney problems, bleeding, and shock. Case fatality is 10% to 50% in the indigenous population in an endemic area but approaches 90% in unimmunized travelers.
So back to the original question, “do I really need a Yellow Fever vaccine?” In most cases, the answer is, yes! As not all patients are eligible to receive the Yellow Fever vaccine, consult with your travel health professional prior to any international travel to understand your risk and how to protect yourself.
Travel Essentials: What Should I Pack?
Prepare a travel health kit with items you may need, especially those items that may be difficult to find at your destination. Include your prescriptions and over the counter medicines in your travel health kit and take enough to last your entire trip, plus extra in case of travel delays. Pack medications in a carry on in case your luggage is lost or delayed. Preparing a travel medicine kit can save you a lot of time and trouble on the road.
If you are traveling to more remote or less traveled destinations, having access to prescription and non-prescription medications can not only prevent disruption to your long-planned vacation or business trip but could also be potentially lifesaving. Having the appropriate antibiotic for a urinary tract infection for example can prevent you from developing a more serious kidney infection such as pyelonephritis.
And being able to promptly treat common travel ailments such as travelers’ diarrhea, altitude illness, motion sickness can allow you to enjoy your travels without interruption. Having a basic travel medicine kit even for travel to destinations not known for exotic infections can be helpful. Rather than trying to locate an all-night pharmacy you have your commonly used medications with you in your hotel room and can treat your headache or back pain and get back to sleep ready to take on the adventures that await you the next day.
Dengue Fever Awareness: What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is a viral infection acquired through the bite of day-time mosquitos. Risk is increased for travelers going to populated urban areas of tropical and subtropical affected countries. Symptoms include high fever, rash, sever headache, muscle/join and back pain. Dengue is usually self-limited with illness lasting 3 to 5 days. Chronic fatigue is common, lasting weeks to months. A small percentage can get very sick with symptoms related to bleeding, shock and/or death.
Is There a Vaccine Available Against Dengue Fever?
Currently there is not a commercially available vaccine available in the US. There are two vaccines, Dengvaxia and Qdenga available outside of the US, but are only approved for those at risk living in endemic areas.
How Can I Prevent Dengue Fever?
Observe day-time personal protective measure against mosquito bites (insect repellant with 34% DEET and Permethrin strayed on clothing). Wear long sleeves and long pants. Peak times for biting activity are 2-3 hours after dawn and mid to late afternoon, during overcast days – mosquitos may be present all day. Remain in well-screen or air conditioned building during the day. Schedule evening events for after sundown. Be aware that the mosquitos that transmit dengue may be found indoors and in close contact with humans. Mosquitos are commonly found in poorly screened areas, places nearby stagnant water such as flowerpots, discarded tires, or blocked rain gutters which may host mosquito larvae.
Tickborne Encephalitis: What travelers should know
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection that is transmitted via the bite of an infected tick. TBE is endemic in focal areas of Europe and Asia, extending from eastern and southern England to northern Japan from northern Russia to Albania. The incidence of TBE in Europe is increasing both to the north and west (reaching the Scandinavian countries), as well as at higher altitudes in Central Europe.
Vaccination may be indicated for travel to some countries. TBE vaccine is approved for persons 1 year of age and older and is recommended or should be considered for some travelers who are at increase risk for infection based on travel season, location, activities, and duration.
Can skipped vaccines or not finished immunization series leave a person unprotected from a serious disease?
International travel may increase a person’s chance of contracting and spreading diseases that are rare or not found in the United States. Some infections are unpredictable and can have long-term consequences. Vaccines help the body learn how to defend itself from disease without the dangers of a full-blown infection. Many vaccines require more than one dose and the number of doses needed depends on the type of vaccine a person receives. With some vaccines such as rabies and Japanese encephalitis, antibody levels may be insufficient to protect from disease after only one dose, and the traveler may be at risk of contracting the disease which can have severe consequences. One dose of hepatitis A vaccine may provide protection for a few years, but a second dose is required for long-term, possibly lifelong protection. It is never too late for a pretravel consultation. In our clinic you can receive immunizations during your visit and discuss the need for booster doses with one of our healthcare providers.
Holiday Travel Tips
Whether you plan to visit friends or relatives overseas, attend Carnival in Brazil or Diwali Festival of Lights in India, go on one of the best African safaris during Winter holidays, or simply relax on a beautiful beach in Thailand, following these helpful tips can ensure a healthy and safe holiday season:
1. Pack a travel health kit.
2. Make sure that you are up to date with vaccines. Some countries require that you receive a yellow fever vaccine and ask for proof of vaccination.
3. Avoid bug bites.
4. Protect yourself from the sun.
5. Stay hydrated.
6. Plan ahead. Schedule an appointment with one of our travel medicine providers in advance to make sure you allow enough time to receive all the necessary immunizations and fill prescribed medications for your trip.