Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing for an international trip can seem complex and difficult. When you have the benefit of the friendly and knowledgeable assistance of the professional staff at Passport Health, your task becomes much easier.
- What do I need to know?
- What vaccinations do I need to go to Brazil, Haiti, China, and other countries?
- Can't I just go to my doctor for travel shots?
- What can I expect?
- When should I do this?
- What if I am traveling with a child?
- Does insurance cover this / how do I pay?
- How do I arrange for an appointment?
- What if I have more questions?
What do I need to know?
Travel Medicine is not just about inoculations, it involves several
factors which include your destination, what you will be doing and how
long you will be staying there. At Passport Health we will provide you
with information regarding the requirements of certain countries but
also recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and
WHO (World Health Organization) so you can make an informed decision
on the choices you have for your trip.
What vaccinations do
I need to go to Brazil (Haiti, China, etc.)?
The misconception in asking this question is that a traveler should
worry about only the diseases that a host country fears from foreign
visitors. No country requires a traveler to take prescription pills
for protection against malaria. Yet, without vaccines for trave, and without the additional
protection of mosquito netting and repellants, travelers are at risk
to contract malaria. So the first question should be, "What does
the Centers for Disease Control say I should have for protection against
disease in Brazil (Haiti, China, etc)?"
Can't I just go to my
doctor for travel shots?
Yes, but unless your doctor happens to specialize in travel medicine,
he or she will:
- Have to do extensive research to determine what medications you need.
- Probably not have the necessary documents to record your vaccines for travel.
- Have to charge you far more due to small vaccine purchases
What can I expect?
You will be meeting with one of our Travel Nurse Consultants. They are
all Registered Nurses (RNs) and have taken extensive training on the
nature of Travel Medicine. Vaccinations are only one component that
will be covered. It is equally important to educate travelers about
food and safety, treatment for traveler's diarrhea, altitude sickness
and more.
When should I do this?
The CDC recommends taking care of your travel medicine needs four to
six weeks before traveling. You do need to know, however, that some
vaccines for travel need to be taken more than once in order to provide the most
immunity. Some vaccines are long lived and once taken may not need to
be repeated for quite some time.
What if I am traveling
with a child?
Passport Health provides Travel Medicine for children as well. The child(ren)
may require immunizations in addition to their routine childhood immunizations.
Our Travel Nurse will be happy to discuss this with you.
Does insurance cover
this?
We are commonly asked whether we accept health insurance for travel
vaccinations. Most health insurance plans don't cover vaccines for travel.
The insurance companies' view is that you are electing to travel therefore
it is elective medicine.
Because of this, Passport Health does not accept any medical insurance plans. We do, however, provide you with a receipt that has all the proper information and codes to be submitted to your insurance company.
This means that if your insurance company covers any of the travel vaccinations you received, they will reimburse you for them according to your health insurance policy. You may be interested in travel health insurance for coverage that regular insurance may not provide.
Passport Health accepts American Express, Visa, Mastercard, personal checks and cash.
Large corporate accounts can be billed for our services.
How do I arrange for
an appointment?
Contact our main office either by phone at 469-241-1954 or email us
at info@passporthealthtexas.com.
What if I have more
questions?
Contact our main office either by phone at 469-241-1954 or email us
at info@passporthealthtexas.com.
Our five locations each have different business hours and days. We can sometimes take same day appointments. We will also be happy to answer any questions you may have when you contact us.
Prior to your appointment we suggest you fill out our Travel
Patient Questionnaire 
.
