Travel vaccinations

When planning a trip to another country, it's natural to focus on all the fun things you'll be doing. But it’s also important to consider what you need to do before your trip to stay healthy and safe.

Aurora Health Care offers travel vaccinations, medications and other services to protect you and your family. With several convenient locations throughout Wisconsin, we make it easy for you to get the travel medicine services you need. Our international travel clinic specialists help you stay healthy so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

What are travel vaccinations?

Travel vaccinations help protect you against certain diseases while traveling abroad. You may need specific vaccines to enter certain countries. Other vaccines help protect you from diseases that are more common in other countries than in the U.S.

Getting the right vaccinations helps you avoid getting ill while traveling. It also helps prevent bringing the disease back home or spreading it to others.

Who needs travel vaccines?

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, it’s a good idea to check with a travel medicine specialist about vaccinations. These people may also need travel vaccines:

• Business or government travelers
• Employees of nongovernmental organizations (NGO)
• Humanitarian aid workers
• Parents planning on international adoption
• Students on spring break or studying abroad

Required vaccinations for travel

Before you travel, work with your primary care provider to make sure you’ve received your routine vaccinations, such as:

• Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine
• COVID vaccine
• Flu shot
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Meningococcal vaccine
• Pneumococcal vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Shingles vaccine
• Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine

Depending on your history and the country you’re visiting, you may also need travel vaccines such as:

• Dengue fever vaccine
• Hepatitis A and B vaccines
• Japanese encephalitis vaccine
• Meningitis vaccine
• Rabies vaccine
• Typhoid vaccine
• Yellow fever vaccine

When should I get travel vaccines?

You should schedule your appointment with the travel clinic at least four to six weeks before you leave. It can take up to a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a vaccine. You may also need more than one dose of a vaccine. Visiting the clinic well in advance ensures you have enough time to get the necessary care.

How long before travel should I get the hepatitis A vaccination?

The hepatitis A vaccine is a two-dose series given six months apart. If you’ve never received the vaccine and are traveling to an area where hepatitis A is common, you should get vaccinated.

However, if you don’t have enough time before your trip for both vaccine doses, you can get just the first dose. The first dose will still have some protective benefits.

Where to get vaccinations for international travel

Your primary care provider is a great person to start with to find out what vaccines you may need before you travel. They can provide routine vaccines but don’t typically carry some of the specialized vaccines required for international travel. You should visit a travel clinic for more targeted vaccinations.

A travel clinic is a special outpatient clinic run by travel medicine specialists. These experts discuss your itinerary with you and provide recommendations to help you stay healthy and safe. A travel medicine specialist can tell you what vaccines you need and often provides those vaccines onsite.

What to expect during your visit to the travel clinic

Before your travel clinic appointment, please print and complete the traveler history form (PDF). The form helps us make the best recommendations to keep you safe and healthy. Some of the questions require you to gather information from several sources, so please allow plenty of time to fill out the form before your visit.

You’ll need to bring the completed form to your appointment along with your:

• Health insurance card
• Photo identification to verify your insurance, such as a driver’s license, passport or government ID
• Travel itinerary
• Vaccination records

You’ll meet with one of our travel medicine specialists to review your itinerary and medical needs. This provider:

• Answers your questions
• Evaluates your current health
• Gives vaccinations as needed
• Prescribes medications as needed
• Reviews your medical history

Plan for your appointment to last around 90 minutes. We recommend you receive all your travel vaccinations at one location for a more accurate health record.

Travel clinic services

Our travel clinics provide vaccines, exams and medical treatments before you visit another country. We also offer:

• Contact information for local doctors and emergency facilities in the countries you plan to visit
• Corporate accounts if you have employees who need our services
• International Certificate of Vaccinations or Prophylaxis (ICVP)
• Medical examinations for immigration
• Medications for travel conditions such as altitude sickness, traveler’s diarrhea and malaria
• Personalized advice, information about potential risks at your destination, and appropriate precautions based on your age, health history and itinerary
• Recommendations for travel first aid kits

International travel clinics in Wisconsin

We provide travel consultations in multiple convenient locations throughout Wisconsin. Start planning your trip today by calling 833-986-2170 to make an appointment with one of our international travel clinics

Aurora Health Center
250 McHenry St
Burlington, WI 53105

Aurora Lakeland Medical Center
W3985 County Road NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121

Aurora Health Center
210 Wisconsin American Dr.
Fond du Lac, WI 54937

Aurora Health Center
4202 W. Oakwood Park Ct.
Suite 330
Franklin, WI 53132

Aurora BayCare Medical Center
2845 Greenbrier Rd.
Green Bay, WI 54311

Aurora Health Center
1640 E. Sumner St.
Hartford, WI 53027

Aurora Medical Center
10400 75th St.
Kenosha, WI 53142

Aurora Health Center
4111 W. Mitchell St.
Suite 300
Milwaukee, WI 53215

Aurora Health Center
6611 Spring St.
Mount Pleasant, WI 53406

Aurora Occupational Health
14555 W. National Ave.
Suite 195
New Berlin, WI 53151

Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh
855 N. Westhaven Dr.
Suite 230
Oshkosh, WI 54904

Aurora Health Center
2414 Kohler Memorial Dr.
Sheboygan, WI 53081

Aurora Health Center
2219 Garfield St.
Two Rivers, WI 54241

Aurora Health Center
W231 N1440 Corporate Ct.
Waukesha, WI 53186

Aurora Health Center
3115 Lewis Ave.
Zion, IL 60099