travel doctor

Medical Departments & Centers
Infectious Diseases

Travel Medicine Clinics Overview

A barefoot woman stands at an overlook above Barcelona, Spain.

A visit to a Mayo Clinic travel medicine clinic before you depart on an international trip can help ensure a safer, smoother experience.

If you're planning a trip overseas, make one of your first stops a consultation with specialists in the travel medicine clinics at Mayo's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Availability of services may vary among locations. Please confirm when you request an appointment.

You meet with a travel medicine specialist who is knowledgeable about current health risks worldwide and who will promote safe and healthy travels by offering counseling, recommendations, vaccinations, prescriptions and, if needed, a referral to another expert for complex medical conditions.

Virtual visits

You might be eligible for virtual pretravel consultations. If you're interested in this option, talk with the patient appointment specialist when you contact us to schedule an appointment.

COVID-19 and international travel

International travel has become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some countries have exit and entry requirements. Your travel medicine specialist will be able to help you prepare for these requirements so that you have a smoother travel experience.

Before your trip

Schedule an appointment for a pretravel consultation with a Mayo Clinic travel medicine clinic well before you depart so the travel medicine specialist can help you prepare. Ideally, this appointment would occur as soon as travel plans are established and at least two weeks — and preferably 4-8 weeks — before departure. When requesting an appointment for pretravel consultation, be prepared to inform the patient appointment specialist of the following:

All countries being visited
Dates and duration of travel
Any unusual circumstances

At or preferably before the appointment, you will want to provide copies of all available immunization records (including the International Certificate of Vaccination, commonly referred to as the yellow card). Doing so will expedite your clinic visit and may decrease the number of vaccines you are advised to receive.

Your in-depth pre-travel consultation may include:

A country-by-country assessment of all health risks specific for your travel itinerary, such as exotic infectious agents, altitude sickness and heat exhaustion
A review of your medical and immunization history profile with advice for health promotion and illness prevention
Advice for the high-risk traveler
Immunization recommendations, counseling and administration of vaccines to prevent illnesses
Vector precautions counseling
Malaria prevention counseling, with prescriptions if needed
Traveler's diarrhea counseling for prevention and self-treatment, with antibiotic prescription if needed
Identification of health resources in the countries you'll be visiting
Counseling on travel-related risks such as altitude sickness, with preventive prescriptions if needed
An opportunity to ask questions about the unique health and safety concerns for your travel itinerary

You will leave your travel medicine clinic appointment with much helpful and up-to-date information.

After your trip

Depending on where you're going and for how long, the travel clinic may recommend a routine follow-up evaluation after your return.
If you return sick, the travel clinic staff members are Mayo Clinic infectious diseases experts who provide comprehensive post-travel consultations for evaluation and treatment of travel-related illness, including parasitic and other diseases common to tropical regions but uncommon in the United States.
Mayo Clinic Travel Medicine Clinic
5881 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054
Phone: 480-342-0115
4500 San Pablo Road Jacksonville, FL 32224
Phone: 904-953-0774
Mayo Clinic Travel and Geographic Medicine Clinic
200 First St. SW East 6A, Mayo Building Rochester, MN 55905
Phone: 507-255-7763 (toll-fee)
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Travel Medicine Clinics

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Raj Palraj, M.B.B.S., M.D.

Infectious Diseases

Stay healthy abroad: Why you should see a travel medicine specialist before your trip

As you get ready to travel to another country, you probably have many details to coordinate and plan. One essential task, depending on where those travels take you, may be to make an appointment to see a travel medicine specialist.

A travel medicine specialist assesses travel-related risks and provides information to ensure your health and safety while minimizing the potential for health-related situations during on your trip.

Adding a consultation to your travel to-do list

A consultation with a travel medicine specialist includes discussing travel-related illnesses, risk factors for infectious and noninfectious diseases, required immunizations , health regulations and drug-resistant organisms you may encounter.

It's crucial to schedule a pretravel consultation at least two weeks or preferably, four to eight weeks, before your trip to ensure you get complete protection from any needed vaccinations.

When requesting a travel medicine consultation, be prepared to provide information about your trip, including:

All countries you're visiting
Any transportation, accommodation or other unusual circumstances
Dates and duration of travel

A travel medicine specialist will review your itinerary before your consultation to identify country-by-country health risks, such as exotic infectious agents, the potential for altitude sickness or heat exhaustion, as well as appropriate vaccinations and possible need for malaria prevention medications.

Your opportunity to learn about staying healthy abroad

A consultation gives you the opportunity to learn about health risks you may face while you're traveling and once you reach your destinations.

Based on your itinerary, the travel medicine specialist may:

Explain the risks of infection from mosquito-borne illnesses and the steps for protecting yourself. This includes reviewing medications to prevent malaria , which is a potentially life-threatening illness.
Ensure you receive protection against vaccine-preventable illnesses, such as hepatitis A or typhoid fever , and verify that other routine vaccinations are current.
Evaluate your overall health for travel and discuss with you how to manage preexisting conditions.
Give tips for preventing jet lag, motion sickness, altitude illness and blood clots .
Review how to prevent and treat traveler's diarrhea , the most common travel-related illness.
Help you reduce the chance of becoming ill during travel.
Provide a yellow fever vaccination and an International Certificate of Vaccination , also known as a yellow card, if you travel to a country where the vaccine is recommended or required.
Review food and water precautions. Contaminated food and water can pose disease risk for travelers, many of which are transmitted via swallowing or coming in contact with impure water, such as fresh or sea water and swimming pools.

Be sure to ask the specialist any questions you may have about your personal health, and raise any safety concerns about your travel itinerary.

What to do if you got sick on your trip

Once you return home, a travel medicine specialist also can conduct a comprehensive post-travel evaluation of any illnesses you may have picked up while away, including parasitic infections and other tropical diseases that are rare in the U.S.

No matter the reason for travel — vacation, business, studying abroad, visiting friends or relatives or medical tourism — always be prepared, and take steps to ensure your health and safety.

Raj Palraj, M.B.B.S., M.D. , is an infectious diseases specialist in La Crosse , Wisconsin.

Weill Cornell Travel Medicine (WCTM)

The Weill Cornell Travel Medicine (WCTM ) practice, now in operation for more than 30 years on the Upper East side of Manhattan, was the first health unit devoted exclusively to travelers in New York City. WCTM, a comprehensive clinical service provided by the prestigious Weill Cornell Medical College, is also affiliated with the New York Presbyterian Hospital, and offers pre- and post-travel consultations and care in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases. WCTM is staffed by Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian Hospital physicians board-certified in Infectious Diseases and by Family Nurse Practitioners. Together, we provide travel advice and immunizations for adults, children and families, and we see over 2,500 travelers annually. We have recently moved. Please find us in our beautiful new location in the Weill Greenberg Center, 1305 York Avenue, 4th floor.

Travel Information: Travel Assessment 2019 | PDF