Travel health consultation: who advises, what to bring and what is discussed

A travel health consultation works out, before you leave, which vaccinations, which malaria protection and which other precautions make sense for your specific trip. In Germany it takes place at practices with travel medicine training, at tropical medicine institutes and at some local health authorities. Bring your vaccination record, your itinerary and a list of your medicines, and book early: STIKO and DTG advise completing travel vaccinations at least two weeks before departure.

Who gives travel health advice

STIKO (Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination), the Robert Koch Institute and the DTG (German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health) state clearly that they do not offer individual travel vaccination advice themselves. According to their joint recommendations, this is provided by specialised doctors in private practice, tropical medicine institutes and, in some areas, local health authorities.

Where to go	What you can expect
Practice with a travel medicine focus	advice and travel vaccinations, often at a GP or internal medicine practice
Yellow fever vaccination centre	additionally the yellow fever vaccination with the international certificate
Tropical medicine institute or clinic	advice for complex trips, existing conditions and symptoms after you return
Local health authority (Gesundheitsamt)	vaccination clinic or advice depending on the area, check in advance

Many doctors have additional training. The German Medical Association has published a curriculum for travel health advice, and the DTG awards a travel medicine certificate after a 32-hour basic course, which only stays valid if a refresher course is completed every three years. Under section 7 of the German IHR Implementation Act, yellow fever vaccination may only be given at centres approved by the competent authority. You can find suitable practices near you in our directory of travel clinics.

When to book

The right time depends on your destination and your vaccination history. What is clear: according to STIKO and DTG, vaccinations and vaccine series should be completed at least two weeks before departure, so that protection can build up and any reactions settle before you travel. Because some vaccinations need several appointments, the DTG’s travel health kit guidance suggests allowing 8 to 14 weeks depending on the destination. Read more in our guide to the travel vaccination timeline.

If you are leaving in a few days, an appointment is still worthwhile. Our guide to last-minute travel explains what is still possible.

What to bring: checklist

The more precise your information, the better tailored the advice. Have the following ready:

• Vaccination record and older certificates, including from childhood or work, see our guide to the vaccination record
• Itinerary with countries, regions and dates, including transit stops
• Length of stay and whether you travel to the region repeatedly
• Travel style and accommodation: hotel, tour, backpacking, camping, cruise
• Planned activities: trekking, diving, high altitude, work with animals, visiting family
• Medical conditions and a current list of medicines
• known allergies or previous vaccine reactions
• current or planned pregnancy or breastfeeding
• experience with earlier malaria prevention

What the consultation covers

The STIKO and DTG recommendations list several factors that feed into every consultation: which countries and regions you visit, how long you stay, whether you travel in the rainy season, how you travel and what you plan to do. Personal factors such as age, existing conditions and intolerances are added. The result is a weighing of benefits and risks that you make together with your doctor.

Vaccinations

First, your routine vaccinations under the German STIKO schedule are checked. Then come vaccinations suggested by the destination and any that a country requires on entry, such as yellow fever. STIKO recommends documenting the consultation and giving you written information on future vaccination dates. For a first orientation before your appointment, try the travel vaccine check.

Malaria and mosquito protection

For destinations with a malaria risk, you will discuss whether mosquito protection alone is enough or whether preventive medication or an emergency standby treatment makes sense. This is based on the DTG’s annually updated recommendations. Dengue, chikungunya and Zika are also spread by mosquitoes. Our guide to malaria prevention gives the background.

Hygiene, travel health kit and other topics

According to STIKO and DTG, a complete travel consultation also covers drinking water and food hygiene, sexually transmitted infections, current travel and safety advice, altitude, venomous animals and sun protection. Many practices also go through your travel health kit and how to carry your regular medicines, see our travel health kit checklist.

Travellers with special needs

For some groups the usual recommendations need adjusting. STIKO and DTG name pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and children, older travellers, people with chronic illness or a weakened immune system, long-term travellers and people visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin. The latter, according to the recommendations, often travel for longer, more rurally and at short notice, yet seek advice less often. If you belong to one of these groups, allow extra time for the appointment.

Costs

For private trips, the consultation and travel vaccinations are not a standard benefit of German statutory health insurance. Many insurers do reimburse travel vaccinations voluntarily as an extra benefit. Ask the practice about fees beforehand and check reimbursement with your insurer. Details are in our guide to travel vaccination costs.

After your trip

The consultation does not end when you leave. If you develop a fever or other unexplained symptoms after a trip to the tropics, seek medical help and mention your travel explicitly. The DTG stresses that malaria must be ruled out promptly in anyone with a fever, even months after returning from a malaria area.