Travel Medicine

Medical Capabilities

• Before You Leave
• While You're Away
• When You Return

Before You Leave

The Consultation

One of our travel doctors will provide an assessment of your health risk and advise you on precautions for your trip. The assessment will be drawn from our collective expertise in international public health, travel medicine, tropical medicine and infectious diseases. It is also guided by our continual access to current health alerts from around the world.

The consultation allows the travel doctor to get to know more about you and the journey you are about to embark on. The recommendations are specific to your requirements as every journey is unique, and so are the specific health risks posed to the individual traveller. This is why travel vaccinations, anti-malarial medication, medical kits, travel health products and educational aspects are tailored to your individual situation.

Travel Vaccinations

We keep on-site a complete range of routine and specific vaccinations. Routine vaccinations for travel are those which are already on the national immunisation schedule for both children and adults. If you have not completed these, vaccination prior to travel is important. Specific travel vaccinations are those which relate to particular diseases that may occur at destinations you are visiting. They usually relate to medium to high risk locations where certain infectious diseases are prevalent. Yellow Fever is one of a number of specific vaccinations; others include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Meningitis ACYW, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. As a World Health Organization authorised Yellow Fever vaccination centre, we are part of a select group of centres where this vaccine can be administered.

The decision to receive routine and/ or specific travel vaccinations is based on a number of factors, which the travel doctor will discuss with you.

Anti-Malarial Medication

Many regions of the world are endemic for malaria, but malaria risk within countries may vary considerably. Prescribing medication for prevention or treatment requires a careful assessment. The doctor needs to consider a number of issues, in particular your actual risk of exposure – area of travel, time of year, length of time - as well as the best choice of drug for you (e.g. potential side effects, cost etc). Education about the disease and recognition of symptoms is very important. Based on a malaria risk assessment conducted during the consultation, our travel doctors can prescribe and supply you with the suitable anti-malarial medication for your trip.

Education

Our travel doctors consider education as the essential 'ingredient' in the practice of travel medicine. This is why we place a priority on educating you about key health risks relevant to your journey and how to prevent them. This includes ensuring you have an understanding of relevant diseases and common travel health issues that pose the greatest risk to you (e.g. traveller’s diarrhoea). We will educate you about how each disease and condition is caused and how to identify common symptoms. We will also teach you how to use appropriate medications such as anti-malarials or those included in a medical kit e.g. to treat diarrhoea.

While You're Overseas

"The Little Book"

Every traveller who visits us receives a complimentary copy of "The Little Book", our highly regarded travel health publication. "The Little Book", written by Dr Bob Kass and Dr Maggie Phillips, is about staying healthy when travelling. It is a comprehensive summary of the main topics relevant to international travel health. The Little Book provides a valuable 'in the pocket' resource for your travels. It provides information about travel vaccinations, anti-malarial medication, the use of medications and travel health products as well as extensive coverage on eating and drinking safely, vector-borne disease e.g. malaria, dengue fever and how to best manage common travel health problems if they arise.

Medical Kits for Travellers

We have designed a range of medical kits to meet the requirements of all types of trips. The content of each kit is based on extensive knowledge of the health issues travellers face while away. Our medical kits allow travellers to self-manage common health problems such as allergy, cuts and scratches, diarrhoea, upper respiratory tract infections, motion sickness, altitude, pain and skin problems. A list of 'extra' considerations can be found in "The Little Book".

A new and interactive version of The Little Book is now available for download with iBooks on your Mac of iOS device.

Insect Avoidence

To help protect you against mosquitoes, sandflies and other biting insects:

• insect repellents

• mosquito bed-nets

• head nets for trekking

• permethrin treatment packs

Cabin Health

To help protect your health, while providing comfort in the cabin:

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) prevention stockings

• earplanes to reduce pain associated with take off or landing

Eating and Drinking Safely

To minimise the risk of contact with germs which can cause diarrhoea and other waterborne disease:

• water purification tablets

• water filters

• antibacterial hand gel

To purchase these products and many more, visit our Store.

When You Return

Despite our very best efforts, some of our travellers will still find themselves unwell while away, or upon their return. Travel related health problems are common but can be serious, and should be investigated as soon as possible after return. If you had a health problem while away that has not been completely resolved, we advise that you receive a check-up.

You may have developed symptoms such as a fever, diarrhoea, aches and pains, skin rashes or other symptoms. If this applies to you or someone you know; we have the expertise to diagnose and treat returned travellers who are unwell. If a second opinion is required, we have close links with teaching hospitals and professionals in the fields of microbiology and infectious disease.

Fees

• Our Approach
• Vaccine Fees

Our Approach

We understand that vaccines are quite expensive, yet are often needed to allow for a happy, healthy and carefree holiday. The relatively high cost of vaccines is largely due to the significant investments made by pharmaceutical companies to research and develop each vaccine. We recommend a vaccine only if it’s justified on the basis of real risk to you, on your trip. Real risk is best determined by an expert, who takes into consideration a number of factors such as your itinerary, dates of travel and personal health aspects. Moreover, a vaccine is only given in combination with a detailed discussion between yourself and one of our doctors. This way you are informed and know the basis of our recommendation. The good news is that many vaccines provide extended protection, with some being life-long. In fact, many vaccines are a lifelong investment for future travel.

A visit to one of our travel medicine experts regarding a new trip will attract a $20 out-of-pocket fee (commonly know as the "GAP"). For Australians with a Medicare Card, the remainder of your consultation fee will be covered under Medicare (once your rebate has been processed).  If your banking details are registered with Medicare, we are able to transmit the claim to Medicare on your behalf. 

Vaccine Fees

Multiple vaccinations may be required to prepare you for your trip. We understand this can get expensive, especially for those without private health insurance. Vaccine recommendations are based on best practice and after discussing your individual needs e.g. you may be planning more trips in the future, you may be a diabetic with special concerns. Sometimes our advice may differ from other clinics and from advice given to other members of your tour group. This is not unusual and will be explained during the consultation. We do hope our doctors are consistent within our clinic, but we cannot always be sure the same itinerary is discussed. Our vaccines are priced competitively, and those with “extras” in private health insurance should be able to claim back a considerable amount. You might like to check with your health insurance company prior to your visit. Our publication “The Little Book: about staying healthy when travelling” will explain a great deal about travel vaccines. This is provided to all our travelling clients at no cost.

Vaccines range from $30 (Influenza) to $265 (Imojev).

Routine Vaccinations (National Immunisation Schedule)

Travel Specific Vaccinations

FAQs

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

Answer: 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'.

Question: Are there important considerations when making an appointment?

Answer: Firstly, some vaccines have potential side-effects. Accordingly, when arranging your appointment, select a day that is not followed by any important commitments on the few days following 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.

Question: How do I make an appointment?

Answer: 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. 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.
 

Question: What should I bring along to my appointment?

Answer: 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 that we can refund all but $20.00 of 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 general practices and travel clinics by the private health care insurers.

Question: Are there important considerations before vaccination?

Answer: 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?

Question: Needles make me faint, will this be a problem?

Answer: 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 O.K before, during and after vaccination.

Question: What about vaccine side effects? Can I exercise?

Answer: 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 follow 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.

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

Answer: Routinely recommended vaccines have been developed to protect against uncommon but life threatening 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).

Question: What is the cost of seeing the doctor?

Answer: For new trip visits the consultation will attract a $20 out-of-pocket fee ("gap"), in addition to the Medicare Rebate you receive. If your banking details are registered with Medicare, we are able to transmit the claim to Medicare on your behalf. For more information about registering your banking details with Medicare, visit Medicare Australia's Online Services at: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/medicare-online-services

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.

If your company is paying for your travel appointment, Medicare cannot issue a rebate for this consultation.
 

Question: What is the cost of vaccines and any medications?

Answer: The cost of individual vaccines ranges from $30 for Influenza to $265 for a Imojev (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 may get a rebate on some vaccines and medications. The rebate amount will vary from fund to fund and levels of cover. Unfortunately, we are unable to process private health claims for vaccines and medications claim directly through HICAPS. This is because private health insurers do not permit general practices 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.

Question: Should I delay being vaccinated if I feel sick?

Answer: 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 refer to our General Practice clinical centre.