Travel Health Services

Here's how to get immunizations, prescriptions and advice tailored to your health status and destination. This information is also available in a Printable Format (PDF).

Note: UHS Travel Health Services are available only to University of Michigan-affiliated individuals. Non-affiliated individuals, see UM Health System.

Our friendly nurse, Donna Zak, explains the process in the video below.

Step 1. Learn Recommendations/Requirements and Prepare:

Plan ahead! Learn any visa and UM program requirements. Start as soon as your travel plans are confirmed, preferably at least 6-8 weeks before departure, because:

• Some immunizations take weeks to reach optimum effectiveness, and some are given in series.
• Appointments are limited before peak travel times (December, before Spring Break, April and May).
• You may need time to locate your immunization records, which you need in order for UHS staff to give you additional immunizations (read how below).

Step 2. Complete Online Travel Health Program:

If you will travel to any country that poses significant health risk, you must complete this program  before scheduling a travel health visit (see exceptions below).

The program takes 10 minutes on average. It will help you make the best use of your travel health visit, and help you learn how to protect yourself and make informed decisions. This program will not provide personalized recommendations (that's the purpose of your travel health visit).

You will need to log on using your UM uniqname and Kerberos password. If you don't have a UM uniqname and password, you can create a free "Friend Account".

Exceptions to the requirement:

• Have you completed the Online Travel Health Program before? If so, you do not have to do it again, although you may if desired. Skip to Step 3.
• If your destination poses low health risk, you are not required to do the program (although you may if desired). Following is a partial list of countries that pose low health risk. Skip to Step 3.

Step 3. Schedule Appointments at 734-764-8325

Call to schedule a travel health visit.  

If you need a physical for travel, schedule it separately.

If you will need prescriptions or want to purchase other products for travel, allow additional time to visit the UHS Pharmacy. The Pharmacy sells the following non-prescription travel-related products:

• Imodium AD ® caplets, generic, for diarrhea
• Pepto-Bismol ® liquid and tablets, generic, for diarrhea, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach
• Ultrathon ™ insect repellant lotion, contains 34% DEET, repels mosquitos, biting flies, chiggers, fleas, deer and stable flies
• Permanone ® spray, insect repellant against mosquitoes and ticks, for clotihing and gear
• Sawyer ® clothing treatment kit, soak to repel and kill mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, mites
• Mobasa Defender ™, a personal mosquito net pretreated with repellant

Step 4. Bring to Your Visit:

• UHS Travel Health Forms:
  To make your visit more efficient, please complete all three forms in advance. Click on this link to open the PDF, type in it, then print single-sided.
• Immunization records, including dates of your last tetanus, MMR, and polio, plus any previous travel vaccines. If you don't have your immunization records, ask your parents, pediatrician, high school or other schools that required records. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.
• Any health forms that you need to have completed
• Your itinerary
• Means of Payment:
  You are responsible for payment of any fees at time of visit. Check your insurance coverage and any program coverage before this visit. If you are a currently enrolled UM student, the clinic visit is covered, but payment for vaccinations and medications is your responsibility. See also UHS Travel Vaccinations Pricelist

For additional information, see:

• Allergy, Immunization and Travel Health Clinic for clinic hours
• Travel Health Checklist
• Travel Abroad Health Insurance