Buck and I found ourselves paying for travel vaccinations at a time when our insurance did not cover vaccinations. And we were unsure exactly which countries we wished to visit, or in what order. So, we paid for several vaccinations. Over a period of 6 months, we paid almost $1,500 US dollars for the two of us to obtain travel vaccinations.
In terms of our pocketbook, can you say, “Ouch!!”?
What We Received for $1,500 US Dollars
We received vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, and yellow fever. This price also included a tetanus booster, and the required consultation fees for our yellow fever vaccinations. This total travel vaccination costs did NOT include the cost of malaria pills. However, we did obtain the malaria pill prescription during our yellow fever consultation.
Ways to Minimize Travel Vaccination Costs When Insurance Is Not An Option
Shop around.
Some folks add a hefty consultation fee to any travel vaccination costs. For yellow fever, the consultation fee is mandatory. However, for other vaccines, often you can find a place that will treat the vaccine like other prescriptions. What this means is that your consultation will come in the form of an information sheet. Then any questions can be answered without additional costs.
Look for on-line coupons.
Simply, look up the technical name for the desired travel vaccine, do a web search, and explore the resulting websites. We received the vast majority of our travel vaccinations at a local pharmacy chain in Florida, and they accepted the coupons.
Ask your vaccine provider for potential savings.
We received a $50 discount on the consultation fee associated with the yellow fever travel vaccine. Why? Because we asked about savings, and Buck and I agreed to receive our shots and consultation together.
Depending on what country you are coming from, there may be NO REQUIRED travel vaccinations.
One example: If you are a US or Canadian citizen and want to travel to only a single country. One thing to keep in mind is that, when you travel anywhere new, your body has an adjustment period. People adjust differently, and differently to different places.
Obtain travel vaccinations in other countries.
Many travel vaccination costs are cheaper in many other countries. With a bit of pre-travel research, you can be eligible to obtain cheaper, effective vaccinations once you begin your travels.
Key Considerations No Matter Where You Obtain Your Travel Vaccinations
Research current, valid travel vaccination requirements AND recommendations.
After reading this blog or any other, don’t assume you have the current and complete information regarding travel vaccinations. Before each trip, review the current information found on reputable sites. We use the travel sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These sites are kept current in terms of individual country vaccination requirements and recommendations. These sites explain, in layman’s terms, why you may want to get a vaccinations even if it is not required. Equally important, these sites maintain current information regarding disease epidemics. For instance, a couple years ago, zika wasn’t around. Now this is a particularly important consideration for pregnant and immune-compromised people.
Communicate your research to folks traveling with you.
If two or more are traveling together, often times one person is responsible for researching vaccines. If this is the case, be sure you share key information before you go to the appointment. I (Camera Girl) had researched the yellow fever vaccine and knew all the potential side effects. Although I had mentioned to Buck that this one had a longer list of side effects, I hadn’t really prepared him for reading almost 20 pages of ‘very bad things can happen from taking this vaccine’.
Don’t wait til the last minute.
Realize it can take 6 months to complete your travel shots. Yep. A lot depends on where you are going, and what vaccinations you choose to get. Sometimes you can expedite the time frame. However, there is an added cost, the vaccination will not be as effective, and you will need a booster sooner. Also, understand that the vaccine needs some time in your body to be effective. Again, this is explained on the CDC and WHO sites.
Realize side effects can occur.
Speaking of research – DO look at, and consider, possible side effects. Whenever possible, after receiving a vaccine, allow some time for your body to make friends with the vaccine. You may feel nothing, or experience a minor annoyance such as site soreness, headache or constipation, or you may need medical attention. We are grateful to all the experienced folks that provided our injections. We did not feel a thing. In fact, we did not feel much afterwards either. We both felt a bit off for a few hours after the first hepA/B injection. Buck had a slight headache after the 2nd hepA/B shot. For both of us, the site was slightly sensitive for a day or two after an injection. We are grateful that we did not have any reactions but, everyone is different.
Make and confirm appointments.
A plentiful stock of travel vaccinations are not maintained by all healthcare facilities all the time. Even travel centers can run out. So call (or walk-in) to make an appointment, and to make sure they have the vaccine on-hand. Making an appointment also provides the facility the option to complete paperwork beforehand and better manage their workload. Especially for full-service pharmacists, ask and avoid crazy times, like just after holidays, and call ahead. We called 10 days ahead of our desired date so the full-service pharmacist could get the related paperwork done beforehand, confirm the vaccine was available, find a time that worked for the pharmacist as well as for us.
Lastly, making an appointment in person also lets you meet the one-with-the-needle beforehand. We obtained vaccines from the second pharmacy we visited. Our vaccine experience was more pleasant because we found a pharmacist who was very open and receptive to questions, travels himself and willing to share experiences.
Some Final ‘Did You Know’ Thoughts Regarding Particular Hepatitis and Typhoid Travel Vaccines
Hepatitis A and hepatitis B generally are recommended, not required, travel vaccinations.
However, we decided to get them, and decided on the combination hepatitis A & B vaccine. To have the most effective immunity, we needed 3 combo shots over a 6 month period. You can get the combo hepatitis A & B shots, or you can get them separately. Whichever you choose, it is important that you complete the series using the same vaccine. For example, if you start with separate hep A and hep B vaccines, you need to continue with the separate vaccines. The different hey are not the same strength and so are not interchangeable. Again, the CDC and WHO sites can provide what you need to know about these vaccines.
So why did we get the hepatitis A and B vaccines, if they are not required?
Hepatitis is a chronic drain on the body and once it takes hold….doesn’t like to let go. Traveling means trying new food and water. Well unfortunately, hepatitis A can be obtained from contaminated food or water. And hepatitis A effects are more damaging and long-lasting than the common Montezuma’s revenge or traveler’s diarrhea. And why hepatitis B? Some folks think of getting hep B only through sexual contact or sharing needles. Yep, but it also can be passed on via contaminated body fluids, including blood. And we like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. And one of us could unexpectedly receive treatment at a place that does not consistently practice universal precautions.
The travel vaccination for typhoid fever comes in two forms – a shot or as pills.
The oral vaccine lasts longer, but you need to keep it refrigerated. And you have to remember to take a tablet every other day – 4 tablets total.
Keep Your International Vaccination Certificate Or ‘Yellow Card’ Current
No matter where you get your shots, make sure your International Vaccination Certificate or ‘Yellow Card’ is current. If a country requires a vaccination, this is what you need as proof that you received the vaccination. If you do not have one, check with the health provider who will be providing your required vaccinations.
So after getting all of those vaccinations, where did we go first? Santiago, Chile…which required NO vaccinations for US citizens to visit. Here’s a glimpse of our first 36 hours in Chile!