For vaccine recommendations, we invite you to schedule an appointment for a travel consultation with one of our nurses. The nurse will offer guidance and recommendations pertaining to your specific situation. Recommendations vary based on the timing and duration of your trip, the cities you plan to visit, the activities you plan to partake in, and on your accommodations abroad.

If you generally do not experience adverse effects when receiving vaccines, receiving multiple vaccines will not increase your risk of adverse effects. While each vaccine has potential side effects, these risks are not additive.

There is always a risk of potential side effects with any medication or vaccine. Every individual has a unique response to each vaccine. Generally, the most common side effects include pain at the injection site, redness, or mild swelling in the 24-48 hours following immunization. The nurse will inform you of the specific side effects associated with the vaccines you will receive.

The duration of protection offered by each vaccine is variable. For example, the combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B series will protect for 20 years whereas one dose of the vaccine against typhoid fever will protect you for 3 years. Please note that, given the constant flux of research studies, the duration of protection offered by each vaccine may be updated.

Generally, vaccines take 7 to 10 days before your body produces enough antibodies to protect you from illness. Please note, however, that for some vaccines (e.g., the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine) you will need to receive 2 doses prior to your trip to achieve any level of protection.

Even in the context of all-inclusive trips, travelers run the risk of contracting several illnesses. Just think of the ice cubes used to chill your drinks. These ice cubes may carry the hepatitis A virus and infect you with just one drink! Like hepatitis A, many of the illnesses that you might be exposed to are avoidable through vaccination.

Yes. While live vaccines (e.g., the yellow fever vaccine) are not indicated during pregnancy, most inactivated vaccines (e.g., Hepatitis A vaccine) are considered safe during pregnancy. During the consultation, please be sure to inform the nurse that you are or may be pregnant.

Other than routine childhood vaccines, only the Hepatitis B vaccine can safely be administered at that age. However, if the infant will be travelling to countries where tropical diseases are endemic or where he/she runs the risk of contracting traveler’s diarrhea, we can provide prescriptions and tips to help ensure your child’s health. We recommend that you schedule an appointment to have your child’s needs evaluated and addressed.

RAMQ does not reimburse the cost of any vaccine. However, private health insurance companies often reimburse a portion of the costs.