Travel Clinic

Shapiro Center
725 Albany Street, Suite 9B
Boston, MA 02118
United States

Phone: (617) 414-4290 (Appointments by phone only)
Fax: (617) 414-5503
Hours Available: Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Boston Medical Center Travel Clinic

The Boston Medical Center Travel Clinic provides comprehensive travelers’ health services, including routine and travel vaccines, malaria prevention, travelers’ diarrhea prevention and management, general advice about keeping healthy during travel, and diagnosis and treatment of travel-related illness. Our team is made up of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians with experience in internal medicine, pediatrics, infectious diseases, travel and tropical medicine, parasitology, and immigrant medicine. Some members of our team have additional certifications in Travel and Tropical Medicine from the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) and/or the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

We stock and provide all routine childhood and adult vaccines as well as specialized travel immunizations including yellow fever vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, typhoid vaccines, meningococcal vaccines, and rabies vaccine. Our team can provide individualized services to travelers with special travel health needs, including infants and young children, travelers with special medical needs, immunocompromised travelers, pregnant travelers, those preparing to work or live overseas for prolonged periods, and business and adventure travelers. We can arrange to provide sessions for groups of travelers such as students, volunteers, and missionaries.

We are located in Suite 9B of the Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at Boston Medical Center, 725 Albany Street, Boston. The clinic is located in Boston’s South End. We can be reached at 617-414-4290. We offer appointments for adults 8 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday and specialized clinics for children and families Wednesday from 8 am – noon and Thursday from 9 am – noon. Although we recommend that the prospective traveler make an appointment 4-6 weeks in advance of the trip, we are pleased to accommodate those with time constraints.

Please contact us at 617-414-4290 to make an appointment or receive assistance with any questions.

Please visit www.bmc.org/travelclinic.htm for more information.

Services Offered

Boston Medical Center’s Travel Clinic offers expertise in travel medicine to all areas of the world including:

  • Latin America
  • Caribbean
  • Africa
  • Middle East
  • Asia

Additionally, we offer the following services:

Pre-Travel Care

Immunizations:

  • Routine childhood and adult vaccines

Travel vaccines, including:

  • Yellow fever vaccine
  • Hepatitis A vaccine
  • Japanese encephalitis vaccine
  • Meningococcal vaccine
  • Typhoid vaccines (oral and injectable)

Pre-travel advice on the following topics:

  • Avoidance of insect bites
  • Prevention of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects, such as malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis
  • Prevention and treatment of traveler’s diarrhea
  • Prevention and management of animal bites
  • Prevention and management of travel-related health problems such as traffic accidents, altitude illness, motion sickness, and jet lag
  • Travel with children
  • Travel during pregnancy evacuation insurance
  • Healthy travel for individuals with chronic diseases or immunosuppressive disorders
  • Topics for long-term travelers including adjustment issues, need for tuberculosis testing, and healthcare options abroad

We will prescribe medications as needed:

  • To prevent malaria
  • To treat travelers’ diarrhea
  • To manage altitude sickness and motion sickness
  • For HIV post-exposure prophylaxis for people who will be providing medical care overseas

Post-Travel Care

Diagnosis and treatment of travel-related health problems:

  • Fever after travel
  • Acute and chronic diarrhea
  • Skin diseases
  • Parasitic diseases including malaria, schistosomiasis, filarial diseases, and chagas disease

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

1.   Which shots will I need?

At the time of your visit, your healthcare provider will determine which vaccines are needed. The choice of vaccines depends on where and when you are traveling, your past vaccination history and your health history. We will review your routine vaccine record and update your vaccines as needed.  Additional vaccines may include one or more of the following:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Influenza
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Meningococcus
  • Polio
  • Pneumococcus
  • Rabies
  • Typhoid fever
  • Yellow fever
  • Standard adult/children vaccinations including: Tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis and MMR

2.   How soon before my trip should I see you?

Ideally, schedule your appointment at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance of your trip. While it is possible to receive most of the vaccines within 2-4 weeks of your trip, a few vaccines (rabies, Japanese encephalitis) require you to get multiple doses within a 4 week span.

3.   How do I make an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, please call 617.414.4290. Appointments are available Monday thru Friday, 9 am – 5 pm for adults and Wednesdays (8-noon) and Thursdays (9-noon) for children and families.

4.   Where is the Travel Clinic located?

The Travel Clinic is located in the Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at 725 Albany Street, 9th Floor, Suite 9B.

Directions to BMC

Campus Map

The nearest parking garage is located at 710 Albany Street. Metered street parking also is available nearby. Valet parking is available for $12 per day in front of the Menino Pavilion.

5.   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.

6.   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

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
  2. WHO Travel Health http://www.who.int/topics/travel/en/
  3. State Department Security Alerts http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html
  4. US Department of State Health Information http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_4971.html
  5. CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
  6. Fit for Travel www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx