Vaccines for Africa – What I Got Before My Trip

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Today we’re talking about vaccines for Africa, specifically what I got for my trip to Kenya and Tanzania. I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice, this is simply what I did for my trip.

Before we start, if you’re looking to get into a debate about the efficacy of vaccines, please take it elsewhere. This is simply me sharing which vaccines I chose to get for my trip and how I obtained them and saved a little money doing so.

When it comes to travel vaccines, my first stop for information is the CDC. I looked up the Tanzania vaccine guidelines and the Kenya vaccine guidelines to get a sense of what vaccines for Africa I would need.

I discussed the recommendations with my primary care doctor and based on my history she suggested I update my Tetanus and since I’d never had it, get the Hepatitis A/B series. I was able to get all these vaccines free at Walgreens utilizing my health insurance. While I was there I also got a flu shot and updated my Covid booster. This is my biggest money-saving tip for travel vaccines—see which ones you can get for free or cheap at your local pharmacy before going to a travel health doctor (more on that in a minute).

The CDC also suggested malaria pills, the Typhoid vaccine, the Yellow Fever vaccine, and possibly a Polio booster and Cholera vaccine. My primary care doctor suggested a travel health doctor for the additional vaccines and malaria pills since they would have a better sense of what would be best for the specific areas I was traveling to. So my next stop was a travel health doctor.

What is a Travel Health Doctor?

A travel health doctor is a doctor who specializes in medical care related to travel. They provide preventative care including, but not limited to, vaccines and medications in advance of travel. They’re familiar with the illnesses and diseases associated with various areas of the world. Note that most health insurance plans do not cover travel health doctors or related costs, so you will most likely have to pay out of pocket for your office visit as well as any vaccines or prescriptions.

My travel health appointment took about an hour and cost $689 out of pocket. I got the Typhoid vaccine, Yellow Fever vaccine, and a Polio booster and left with a prescription for 20 days worth of Malaria pills and a 3-day supply of antibiotics should I experience gastrointestinal distress. I had my two prescriptions filled at my normal pharmacy and it cost $32.77, bringing my total to $721.77.

It’s not a cheap endeavor, but then again, neither is a trip to Africa! And for me, health is important and it was worth the peace of mind I had knowing I would be protected during my trip.

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