Travel Medicine - FAQs

How long prior to travelling should I visit to receive vaccination?

Ideally, you should come in to see us four to six weeks prior to departure. Some vaccines take a while to give fully effective cover and some may cause delayed side effects. Some vaccines, such as Rabies and Hepatitis B vaccine, require a course of three injections, with each injection being a week or two apart. If you haven't allowed this kind of time frame, don't despair as "it's never too late to vaccinate".

Are there important considerations when making an appointment?

Firstly, some vaccines have potential side-effects. Accordingly, when arranging your appointment, select a day which is not followed by any important commitments on the few days which follow your appointment. Secondly, depending on the complexity of your trip, and the number of people booked together, the visit can last between 30 and 60 minutes with the doctor. Additionally, if you have a Yellow Fever vaccine (South America, East and West Africa), you will be required to stay at the clinic for 30 minutes after the vaccine is given.

How do I make an appointment?

You can make an appointment in any of the following ways. Simply phone us on (08) 8232 7372 and if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask our receptionist. Alternatively, you can use our online form to request an appointment. Before phoning, please note our clinic opening times click here

When phoning to make an appointment, please provide our reception with sufficient detail, to ensure we allow the appropriate time between you, others and the doctor. This includes telling us where you're travelling to, how many people will be attending the appointment, and any other issues you feel may be relevant.

What should I bring along to my appointment?

There are a number of items we'd like you to bring along.

• Specific information about your planned trip. This will help us determine your risk for diseases such as malaria. Specific information includes the countries and cities being visited, style of accommodation, activities being undertaken etc. If you aren’t sure about the specifics yet, a general idea will still enable us to identify important vaccinations and anti-malarial considerations.
• Records or knowledge of your personal vaccine history. This can save time, money and even pain. If you’re struggling to find specific records, don’t stress as the doctor may order a blood test to check your natural and vaccine immunity to diseases E.g. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.
• Your Medicare card so we can bulk-bill your consultation. Additionally, if you have private health insurance, please bring along details about your policy and level of extras. This will allow us to provide you with further information regarding any rebates which may be available from your fund. Unfortunately, we are unable to process the rebate directly. This is due to restrictions placed on GPs and travel clinics in regard to being able to use HICAPS.

Are there important considerations before vaccination?

Yes. Prior to receiving any vaccination, it is important to make medical staff aware of any issues. This will involve providing details of your medical history and any medications you take. Certain vaccines cannot be given to some people due to risk of side-effects. Please carefully consider the following questions;

• Do you have any allergies? E.g. eggs, antibiotics, mercury etc
• Are you pregnant?
• Have you been unwell in the last 48 to 72 hours?
• Do you suffer from any medical problems which affect immunity? e.g. leukaemia, HIV etc
• Are you on any medications which might cause immunosuppression? e.g. prednisolone
• Do you suffer from any bleeding disorders?

Needles make me faint, will this be a problem?

This isn't a problem for us, as our doctors regularly vaccinate people who feel 'queasy' around needles. Just let the doctor know in advance, and he or she will do their best to make sure this doesn't happen and that you feel ok before, during and after vaccination.

What about vaccine side effects? Can I exercise?

The vast majority of people get no or very little in the way of side effects. A mildly sore arm is common afterwards and it's probably best to avoid heavy upper body exercise in the day following vaccination. It is not uncommon to feel a little tired, flat or even feverish for a day or two. Vaccines made from live weakened viruses (chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella and yellow fever) can give delayed side effects because they are following the pattern of the actual disease, albeit a lot less severely. Major allergic reactions, while rare, must be taken seriously and be medically assessed. Worrying symptoms are swelling or itching of the lips or throat, swelling of the face, unusual cough of wheeze, breathing trouble, dizziness and generalized rash. If you feel any of those worrying symptoms, you must immediately contact us or a health provider.

My parents didn't get me vaccinated as a child, what does this mean for my travel vaccinations?

Routinely recommended vaccines have been developed to protect against uncommon but lifethreatening infectious diseases. Over time, these have become less common in Australia, not only because of good vaccine coverage ("herd immunity") but also because of improved living conditions. Most young doctors in Australia would never have seen a case of measles unless they had worked in a less developed country. So when an unvaccinated Australian travels to such areas, they need to be protected from the "childhood" illnesses (routine vaccinations) as well as the exotic diseases (selective vaccinations).

What is the cost of seeing the doctor?

The consultation fee is billed directly to Medicare (i.e. bulk billed) via Medicare Online, unless your company is paying, as this cannot be claimed on Medicare. You will be asked to pay on the day for the vaccines, medications and any other items such as medical kits that you have purchased. If you have private health insurance, a rebate may be claimable through your insurer, for the cost of some vaccines and medications.

What is the cost of vaccines and any medications?

The cost of individual vaccines ranges from $17.50 for ADT (Tetanus Diphtheria) to $148 for a dose of Japanese Encephalitis. You will be informed about these costs during the consultation and given guidance about which vaccines are most important for your trip. If you have "Extras" with private health, you will get a rebate on some vaccines and medications, which varies from fund to fund. Unfortunately, we are unable to process your claim directly through HICAPS. This is because private health insurers do not permit GPs or travel clinics to use their facility. We hope that this restriction will be lifted in the future!

Malaria prevention tablets also vary in price from $5 to $45.50 for a week's supply. The cost variation depends upon which medication is chosen. Malaria tablets are generally not recommended for urban stays in Asia. Our receptionists are able to give you a "ball park" idea about costs, but the specifics depend on the choices you make with the doctor, at the time of your visit.

Should I delay being vaccinated if I feel sick?

There is no need to reschedule your appointment in the case of minor illnesses. But if you have a fever or feel quite unwell, it would be wise to reschedule. If this is the case, feel free to make an appointment with one our general practitioners, so we can help you get better. To learn more about our comprehensive service in general practice, please click here

How long do vaccines last?

The usual duration and protection of a completed course of vaccination varies, depending upon the vaccine. For some vaccines, the duration of protection is not known with absolute certainty. The following table providers a general indication of the known duration of protection with respect to each vaccine: