Travel Clinic
Dowling Building Ground Floor
850 Harrison Ave
Boston, MA 02118
United States
Phone: (617) 414-4290 Appointments
Fax: (617) 414-5503
Hours Available: Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
Boston Medical Center Travel Clinic
The Travel Clinic at Boston Medical Center is operated by staff members of the Sections of Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The Travel Clinic Director, Dr. Davidson Hamer, and Dr. Elizabeth Barnett, the Director of the International Clinic and the Refugee Health Assessment Program, have extensive experience in the fields of parasitology and tropical medicine, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and travel medicine.
Members of the Travel Clinic staff are highly experienced in providing expert pre-travel advice to international travelers including families or individuals traveling to visit friends and relatives, and special needs travelers such as pregnant women, immunosuppressed individuals, and those seeking international adoptions.
All physicians are certified as Adult or Pediatric Infectious Diseases specialists by the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Drs. Hamer and Barnett have been certified as specialists in Clinical Tropical and Travel Medicine by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (http://www.astmh.org) Dr. Hamer and Faye Huang, FNP both hold the Certificate in Travel Health of the International Society of Travel Medicine (http://www.istm.org/).
Dr. Hamer is actively involved in applied, policy-relevant scientific research on malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia in less developed regions of the world, including Latin America, Africa, and Asia. As a consequence, he has extensive personal experience with travel to these regions of the world and the diseases that are endemic there.
Itinerary-specific, pre-travel consultation and immunization for children and adults, including yellow fever immunization
Services Offered
Q Itinerary-specific, pre-travel consultation and immunization for children and adults, including yellow fever immunization:
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Yellow fever vaccine
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Hepatitis A, typhoid, meningococcal, and Japanese encephalitis vaccines
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All other recommended vaccines (e.g. tetanus, measles/mumps/rubella, polio, hepatitis B, and others)
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Advice on the prevention of disease transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue fever and Japanese B encephalitis
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Advice on malaria prevention — where, when, and how
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Advice on the prevention and treatment of traveler’s diarrhea
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Advice on special issues such as medical care abroad, altitude sickness, and jet lag
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Information regarding travel with children or during pregnancy
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Travel health advice for individuals with chronic diseases including immunosuppressive disorders
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Education on ways to avoid rare tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and rabies
Q Full pre-travel medical evaluations for individuals and corporate employees including the following:
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Complete history and physicals
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Blood chemistries including tests of kidney and liver function
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Complete blood counts and blood typing
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Skin tests for tuberculosis
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Other tests as clinically indicated including EKGs, X-rays, cardiac stress testing, mammograms, Pap smears, and HIV testing
Q Expertise in diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases acquired abroad
Q Clinical parasitology laboratory
Q Electronic patient medical data base
Q Special sessions for groups of travelers (students, volunteers, and missionaries)
Regional Expertise
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Latin America
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Caribbean
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Africa
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Middle East
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Asia
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about the Travel Clinic:
Which shots will I need?
Vaccines will be determined at the time of your visit. The choice of vaccines depends on where and when you are traveling, your past vaccination history, and your health history. Vaccines may include one or more of the following:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Influenza
Japanese encephalitis
Meningococcus
Measles-mumps-rubella
Polio
Pneumococcus
Rabies
Tetanus/diphtheria
Tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis
Typhoid fever
Yellow fever
How soon before my trip should I see you?
Ideally, schedule your appointment at least 2 to 4 weeks in advance of your trip.
Will my insurance cover all this?
We accept most major forms of insurance. Please check with your primary care doctor first to see if you need a referral. Also, please be aware that some insurance companies may NOT cover all services. Please check with your insurance company regarding what services will be covered, prior to your appointment. All uncovered services will be the responsibility of the traveler. If your insurance company does not cover the specialized services that we offer or if you do not have health insurance, then you will be responsible for paying all charges at the end of your travel clinic appointment.
Should I bring anything with me to my appointment?
Please bring your vaccine records, your WHO International Certificate of Immunization (yellow book) if you have one, and a list of medications you are taking.
Travel Medicine Resources
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health web page http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
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CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
