Travel Vaccines: What You Need and When to Book

Some travel vaccines need two or three doses, or a couple of weeks to start working. Booking early gives you the most choice. A late booking is still worth it.

Timeline

• 6 to 8 weeks before: travel health consultation. Plan vaccines, malaria prevention and any prescriptions.
• 2 to 6 weeks before: finish vaccine doses and fill prescriptions.
• Last minute: still book. Many vaccines give some protection with one dose, and advice on food, water and insect bites still helps.

What Ontario pays for and what you pay for

• Routine vaccines, such as tetanus-diphtheria and measles, are publicly funded in Ontario if you are due.
• Hepatitis A and B are publicly funded only for certain risk groups. Most travellers pay.
• Travel-only vaccines, such as typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, rabies before exposure and cholera, are paid for privately. Some benefit plans cover them.

Yellow fever

Only clinics designated by the Public Health Agency of Canada can give yellow fever vaccine and the certificate some countries require. We are not a designated centre; the Government of Canada keeps the list, and there are designated sites in Sarnia. We can still cover the rest of your plan.

What happens at our travel visit

We go through your destinations, dates, activities, health conditions and medications, check your vaccine records, and give you a written plan. Malaria prevention and other travel prescriptions are given when they suit you. The consultation is $95; vaccines are extra. It can be done by video, with vaccines given in clinic. See travel clinic and travel vaccines in Sarnia.

Sources

• Government of Canada: yellow fever vaccination centres in Ontario
• Ontario’s routine immunization schedule
• Government of Canada: travel health notices

General information only, not advice for your situation. Written and reviewed by our clinical team (Nurse Practitioner, RN, RSW) using the sources listed. In an emergency call 911.