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Section of Pediatric Infectious Disease

Treatment Clinics

Travel

Care for Children Traveling Abroad

If your family is traveling abroad, our doctors can provide advice on foreign travel precautions as well as vaccinations for your child in our Travel Clinic. Our infectious disease specialists also offer consultations through the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. This clinic—the only one of its kind for children in Chicago—is designed to meet the special needs of families adopting children internationally.

Prior to travel, parents should make sure they are well-equipped to handles the health care needs to children, especially when heading to a developing country. Parents should also ensure the entire family is current on immunizations and visit with their pediatrician to discuss other necessary medications and immunizations. Visit the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for specific information on countries, disease risk, and outbreak information.

The University of Chicago Travel Clinic offers complete travel care, ranging from consultation, immunizations, and preventative medicine to post-travel care in the event of an illness. During your visit, a travel nurse or doctor will meet with you to discuss the details of your trip, your medical history, and your current health status. With the use of a travel disease database, the clinician will advise you of the required and/or recommended immunizations. Most of our patients are able to receive immunizations or prescriptions for preventive medicine during their initial visit.

In addition to providing expert medical care, our staff will inform you of general travel health guidelines—such as food, water, and insect precautions. You will also be advised of particular health risks and disease outbreaks for the region where you are traveling. At the end of your consultation, you will receive written information specific to your destination and any vaccinations you have received.