International Travel Immunizations

The International Travel Clinic at the Hamilton County Health Department offers comprehensive Travel Health Consultation services in addition to a full range of routine and travel immunizations. The clinic’s Travel Nurse is an RN with experience in Travel Medicine and the clinic manager is an RN with extensive experience in vaccinations.

We recommend that you contact us at least 4-6 weeks before you travel to begin your health related preparation for travel. Appointments are required; however, we may be able to accommodate walk-ins on rare occasions.

Please Note: If you are pregnant, nursing a baby, or have any serious or significant acute or chronic health issues, please talk to your doctor about your travel plans and call us, if possible, prior to making non-refundable payments for travel arrangements. Yellow Fever vaccine cannot be given safely in certain circumstances, such as immune suppressing conditions or medications, recent cancer treatments, severe egg allergies, etc., and, if this vaccine is indicated or required, travel to those areas would not be recommended. Please feel free to call and ask to speak to a Travel Nurse if you are unsure.

We serve a variety of clients including:

• Individuals and groups traveling on mission trips
• Persons traveling for education purposes
• Individuals and families moving to other countries (expats)
• Business travelers
• Persons traveling for pleasure

Our Travel Clinic offers the following vaccines for routine and travel indications:

• Covid-19
• Hepatitis A 
• Hepatitis B
• Hib (Haemophilus Influenza Type B)
• HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)
• Influenza (Flu) – available seasonally
• Japanese Encephalitis (must be ordered when needed due to cost)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Meningococcal (Meningitis)
• Pneumococcal (Pneumonia)
• Rabies
• Shingrix (Shingles)
• Tetanus-diphtheria (Td)
• Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap contains the “Whooping Cough” vaccine)
• Typhoid vaccine– oral and injectable
• Varicella (Chickenpox)
• Yellow Fever

Our Travel Nurses will provide specific information about each country you plan to visit, including:

• Insect concerns – including mosquitoes which may carry Malaria, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya Fever or Japanese Encephalitis; ticks which may carry Tick-borne Encephalitis, Lyme disease or Typhus; blackflies, sandflies, tse-tse flies and others
• Other health issues, such as Tuberculosis prevalence and the presence of water-borne parasites
• Food and water precautions
• Rabies risk and treatment
• Current travel advisories
• U.S. Embassy contact information and more

We will provide a printed report which contains information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Dept. of State.

Our nurses will review all pertinent facts about the recommended and required vaccines and answer any questions you may have. We will explain the risks and benefits of each so that you can make an informed decision.

We have in-house interpreters for persons who speak Spanish and access to Language Line , a service that can provide interpreting services over the telephone for more than 170 other languages.

Vaccines in the US are safe, effective and generally have few side effects. Most people tolerate vaccines well. Some vaccines may be a series of two or three and give lifelong protection and some may need to be repeated periodically throughout your lifetime to maintain effectiveness.

We will answer any and all questions you may have prior to giving vaccinations. We do not post prices on this website, but they are available upon request.

Will I be able to drive myself home or should I bring someone with me to the clinic?
You should be fine to drive, but may certainly bring another adult if you have any concerns.

If I need several vaccines for my travel, can they all be given at the same visit?
Yes, they are frequently given together, however, if you prefer and have enough time before you travel to develop sufficient antibodies, they may be spaced out – you can discuss this with the nurse.

What if I have no records of vaccines?
We recommend trying your parents or family doctor. You may also try your previous college or high school to see if they still have any records. If you graduated from high school in Hamilton County, you may call the Hamilton County Department of Student Records Office at 423-209-5473 to request a search. Military service generally implies vaccines, so you might try www.milvax.gov or your local VA clinic to see if records can be located. If no records can be found, vaccines can safely be repeated as necessary.

Should I expect to feel sick for a few days after receiving shots?
Not necessarily, in fact most people feel fine, even if they have a bit of arm soreness. It is acceptable to take something for soreness or fever – usually Tylenol or ibuprofen can be helpful.

What do vaccines cost?
The prices vary greatly. Please ask for specific costs when calling the clinic. We are happy to provide you with as much information about cost as we can. Generally, public health departments are less expensive than other providers.

What if I am traveling in the next few days – should I even bother with getting vaccines?
The best thing to do is to call the clinic and speak to a Travel Nurse to help you decide whether your trip is of a duration and to a destination that indicates the need for vaccines and whether we have availability to see you. If we cannot make you an appointment, but you need vaccines, we will try to refer you to someone else.

From Downtown Chattanooga: Exit US 27 northbound or southbound at Fourth St. Continue east on Fourth St. As the road curves after crossing Georgia Ave., keep to the right and road becomes Third St. After passing Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences (CSAS) and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department (CHCHD) on the left, turn left at the next traffic light onto Hampton St. (runs between Health Dept. and Erlanger Medical Center). Look for parking garage ahead on the left. Turn in where a blue awning covers the entrance - across the street from the Adult Emergency Department at Erlanger Medical Center.
 

Parking: You should park in the garage that we share with Erlanger Medical Center. It is the closest parking to the Health Department and it's free with validation. Take a ticket from the machine and bring it with you to the clinic for validation. Follow signs in the garage to “Health Department.” The Immunizations/International Travel Clinic is located in the East building on the first floor (Room 109) at the end of the hall to the right of the “Birth & Death Certificates” office.