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I am planning a trip to Asia with no ending date or 100% certain plan on which countries I will visit. There is also a chance I will continue to North America and Europe depending on how things go.

In the event of wanting to travel to some country in the middle of my trip for which I need a special vaccination, is it possible for me to get it abroad?

I called my insurance company and asked them about it and they said that they only help in case of emergencies and that a vaccine is not an emergency (they are probably right though they could have been more helpful)

Does anyone have any experience getting vaccinated abroad? Should I carry my vaccination record with me?

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  • Probably depends where you are....and whether you need insurance or are willing to pay for it. I have gotten a flu vaccination abroad, using that countries health insurance.
    – andrewmh20
    Mar 30, 2017 at 7:53

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Of course!

For example, as a New Zealander, while I was in the UK I decided to go to South America, and later to Central Asia. I needed vaccinations, obviously.

It was as simple as going to the doctor. Of course, in many countries it will cost you money, and you're right, it's probably not covered by insurance.

I've also had new prescriptions filled and even gotten blood tests in random countries. Health systems are usually available to anyone, just what you end up paying may differ to the locals. And whether it's covered by insurance is entirely dependent on your policy.

enter image description here (from http://www.picstopin.com/)

Whatever you do, if you have that yellow booklet of all your vaccinations, take that with you for them to sign and document, so that you have an official record of them. It's come in handy for me on more than one occasion.

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  • Same here, works just fine. I started a hepatitis A/B vaccination in Germany and finished it in Australia. While it was free of cost at home I paid paid AU$60 for the shot in oz.
    – greg121
    Feb 5, 2013 at 10:26
  • I've had a few vaccinations overseas, no problems. US health insurance normally doesn't pay for travel vaccinations anyway so that's not an issue.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Feb 6, 2013 at 3:36
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    Is there a specific reason that this picture looks super trippy? Or that's just bad camera work? :/
    – Aditya Somani
    Jun 19, 2014 at 8:15
  • @AdityaSomani we didn't take it (note the link). Maybe to obscure identifiable info. Off-topic comments, regardless, best to keep in chat.
    – Mark Mayo
    Jun 19, 2014 at 11:55
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Adding to the excellent answer by @MarkMayo. You might also be vaccinated at many airports just before boarding your plane. I once was denied boarding in Paris because I couldn't prove being vaccinated against yellow fever. Some countries require yellow fever vaccination and if you can't prove that you are vaccinated you apparently are not allowed to board the airplane.

At Paris Orly, I just got a new yellow international vaccination booklet. To be safe, I would call the airport medical authorities at the airport of your departure just before going there.

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    Thanks! It looks it is much easier than what I originally thought.
    – JordanBelf
    Feb 5, 2013 at 16:40
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    Do however keep in mind that there are vaccinations that require being given a minimum interval before entering the affected area (and/or require multiple shots at intervals before entering the area). TBE is an example of that, requiring 2-3 shots several months apart to be effective (afaik that specific one is not a mandatory shot for any country, but recommended for several).
    – jwenting
    Feb 6, 2013 at 9:35

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