Frequently Asked Questions

First, to assess your risk of illness and the need for certain vaccinations and preventative medicines, you need as many details about your trip as possible. Helpful information for your travel consultation includes specific destinations, side-trips, rural or urban travel, length of stay at destinations, and activities (i.e. exposure to animals, exposure to river or lake water, household contact of local residents). You may need to contact the sponsor of your trip for this information. Other important considerations in determining pre-travel vaccinations includes your immunization history (dates of previous vaccinations), current medications, medical history, and general health.

Next, review the CDC travel website carefully to find out which immunizations are recommended for your destination(s). Other reliable travel health web resources include American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, International Society of Travel Medicine, World Health Organization, and International Travel and Health.

First, review the information from the CDC travel site specific to your area(s) of travel; the WHO information will also be helpful. Find out if there is chloroquine-resistance in your area(s) of travel. Review a comparison of anti-malarial medications, especially noting the considerations for use.

Travel questionnaires are available at the SHC. At your request, we will fax your completed questionnaire and immunization record to Short Pump Ukrop’s Pharmacy travel clinic. The pharmacist at Short Pump Ukrop's will contact you to schedule an appointment (or you can call there to schedule after your information has been faxed). The SHC can administer hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus (TD or TDap booster), or meningitis vaccinations; and can place tuberculin skin tests (PPD).

It's best to get started eight weeks prior to departure, sooner if possible. Some vaccines may take up to one month to be most effective; some require a series of shots separated by two to three weeks. Malaria prevention often needs to be initiated two weeks before departure.

It is important to give the travel clinic personnel as many details about your itinerary and activities as possible to determine your risk of rabies exposure. When making your decision, don’t forget that many other countries do not vaccinate their animals against rabies as vigilantly as the U.S. and rabies is 100 percent fatal if not treated. Rabies immunoglobulin (needed immediately to treat rabies exposure in persons not immunized with rabies pre-exposure vaccines) is not readily available in all countries. For more information about rabies: CDC-Rabies

Most countries have higher rate of tuberculosis (TB) than U.S. and Canada. When traveling in these areas for four or more weeks, your chance of exposure increases significantly. The first PPD skin test, one month prior to travel, is the "baseline," to show that you have not previously been infected with TB. (Often, TB has no symptoms except a positive skin test.) A follow-up PPD skin test at least 90 days after you return indicates whether you contracted a TB infection while travelling. For more information on TB and travel: CDC-TB

You will need to check your health insurance benefits. If you set up a travel consultation with Short Pump Ukrop's Pharmacy travel clinic, remember to bring your Rx insurance card.

Most side effects, if any, are mild and transient. Prior to receiving each vaccine, you will be given a Vaccine Information Statement, which covers specific information about the disease and the vaccinations.

The SHC can provide some of the vaccines needed. Short Pump Ukrop’s Pharmacy, and other local resources listed on our travel webpage, can provide other vaccines not available through the SHC.