Travel Medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital provides vaccines required to enter foreign countries and those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Certain recommended vaccines may help families reduce the risk of acquiring illnesses during international travel, including travel for adoption.
Families should schedule visits at least one month prior to travel. Some vaccines, such as Hepatitis A, take several weeks to take effect, while others, like Hepatitis B, may require multiple doses over a six-month period. Additionally, some vaccines, such as yellow fever, must be received within a certain time period before departure
The Travel Medicine Clinic offers the following vaccines:
Hepatitis A for children and adults
Hepatitis B
Immune globulin (protection against Hepatitis A for infants 12 months and younger)
Twinrix (a Hepatitis A and B combination vaccine for people 18 and over)
Influenza for adults and children
Japanese encephalitis
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
Meningococcal vaccines for students entering college and those traveling to high-risk areas
Polio
Rabies
Typhoid
Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis combination vaccine (Recommended since 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Varicella (chicken pox)
Yellow fever (when available)
Other routine vaccinations, if needed
In addition to vaccinations, the clinic staff offers advice on travel-related concerns, including:
Medications to prevent malaria
Methods to prevent insect bites
Preparation of safe drinking water and food
Preventing altitude and motion sickness
Counseling for families with underlying medical conditions that may increase the risk of acquiring infections
Our physicians offer family-centered care, providing advice and treatment for the whole family.
To get started on your travel appointment, you may either download the Travel Medicine forms or call (832) 822-1038 to have the forms emailed to you.
Please complete all necessary forms and save a personal copy for your own records.
Once the forms are completed, you may email them to travelmedicine@texaschildrens.org or fax them to (832) 825-1281. After all the documents have been received by our office, you will be contacted to make your appointment.
To meet your travel needs, we ask that you make your appointment at least one month prior to your departure, as some vaccines require multiple doses.
On the day of your appointment, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment and bring a copy of each patient’s immunization record so that our staff can assist you as best as possible.
Please remember, our clinic does not accept insurance nor the flex spending card and therefore all services are self-pay. Payments can be made in the form of cash, check, or credit card.
If you have any questions before your appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.