Planning an international trip from Minnesota? Ensuring your health is travel-ready is as crucial as packing your bags. Depending on your destination, age, health, and activities, you may need specific international travel vaccines. It’s wise to start your preparations well in advance, as some vaccine series can take up to six months to complete. For Minnesota residents, understanding where to get these essential travel shots is the first step towards a healthy and worry-free journey.
While the Minnesota Department of Health provides valuable information and resources, they do not offer international travel health consultations or administer travel vaccines directly. For these services, you’ll need to visit specialized international Travel Shot Clinics. These clinics are experts in travel medicine and can provide tailored advice and vaccinations based on your itinerary and health profile.
For travel to regions like Africa, Central America, or South America, visiting a travel shot clinic is particularly important. These areas often require the yellow fever vaccine, which is only available at authorized clinics. Travel shot clinics are specifically certified to administer the yellow fever vaccine and offer a comprehensive range of pre and post-travel health services. To locate other certified yellow fever vaccine providers, you can utilize the CDC’s search tool for Yellow Fever Vaccination Clinics.
If your travels are taking you to Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand, your regular healthcare provider may be able to administer the necessary vaccines. However, for destinations beyond these, an international travel shot clinic is generally your best resource for comprehensive travel health advice and vaccinations.
Remember, travel shots are just one aspect of pre-travel health. It’s also an excellent opportunity to ensure that both adults and children are up-to-date with their routine vaccinations before leaving the country. If you’re unsure about your or your family’s routine vaccination status, contacting your healthcare provider or a travel shot clinic is highly recommended. You can also find additional information on immunization from health resources.
Important Note: Always contact the travel shot clinic before visiting. Appointments are usually required, and some clinics may require an initial consultation with a healthcare provider.
The following is a list of international travel shot clinics authorized to administer the yellow fever vaccine, offering a range of pre- and post-travel services to ensure your health and safety abroad:
- North Iowa Mercy Internal Medicine, Mason City, IA: 800-756-4423
- Fargo/Cass Public Health Department, Fargo, ND: 701-298-6938
- Altru Main Clinic, Grand Forks, ND: 701-780-6234
- Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD: 605-328-8120
- Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI: 800-362-9567
- St. Croix Regional Medical Center, St. Croix Falls, WI: 800-828-3627
For further information on travel vaccines and other travel health concerns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an invaluable resource. If you have health insurance, it’s also advisable to contact your insurance provider to understand your coverage for travel vaccines.
- CDC Travelers’ Health – Your go-to source for destination-specific health information, disease details, and general travel health advice.
- Contact CDC: 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: 888-232-6348
By utilizing these resources and consulting with a travel shot clinic, Minnesota residents can confidently embark on their international travels, knowing their health is protected.
