Way to get Vaccines for travelling to India in New York

Question

I'm planning to go to India in Jan. I've just recently moved to NYC so I don't know much about the city. I'd like to get some vaccines for Northern India. I googled some and found a lot of clinics that providing that. I'm not sure if it's better to go to the hospital or private clinics. Not sure what's the system being use in the US. What I heard was that you can't just walk in to a hospital.

Answer 1

It comes down to what you want:

• the minimum requirement, or
• everything, to be as safe as possible

Let's say the minimum. Many clinics and travel vaccination centers exist to make money (as do some hospitals, to be fair). As a result, it's arguably a conflict - you're asking what the minimum safeguard is, and they're telling you 'well it's really best to get this and this, just in case'.

We've got a question on vaccinations for India which cover short and long term travel. Your best bet is to probably read that and the links within, checking sites like the CDC recommendations for India and those of the WHO, as described in the Lonely Planet.

Once you've made up your mind, go to a doctor. Ideally your GP (you should always have a GP in any new city for your regular check ups - time to get one if you don't), and get a referral. Your GP is unbiased - he's going to look up his references as well and make sure you've chosen the right ones, and maybe give you some recommendations, and then either his nurses can administer the shots there, or he'll direct you to a travel clinic that he trusts.

Don't go directly to the hospital - assuming you mean ED, it's not an emergency, and you'll likely be triaged down to the bottom of the waiting list if they accept you. With a doctor you can book an appointment, discuss it with a professional, and then get it done there or with a referral.