Vaccinations are an important part of ensuring your health and safety overseas, and requirements vary greatly, depending on your length of stay and exact destination. Plan ahead! Find out whether the countries you plan to visit require specific vaccinations and whether vaccinations or medications such as malaria-prevention medication are recommended well in advance of your travel.
If participating in a study/travel course, students should also consult their faculty instructor about required vaccinations for the specific country or countries that they are visiting. Please DO NOT wait until the week before traveling to get your vaccines as they may not be as effective in preventing disease.
- To find out which types of vaccinations, if any, you are advised/required to receive, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list/
- Travel Smart: Get Vaccinated: https://www.cdc.gov/features/vaccines-travel/
- Our Student Health Center can provide students with assistance in finding out what vaccines you may require. Contact the Health Center as soon as possible at 804-752-3041 to make an appointment to be seen and discuss your options for travel medications and vaccinations, as the process may take 3-6 weeks.
- Passport Health also offers a variety of travel health services such as customized, destination-specific travel health consultations, low-cost travel immunizations, state-certified Yellow Fever status, and more. For more information, visit their website http://www.passporthealthusa.com/.
Passport Health Offices nearby:
Richmond – 2812 Emerywood Parkway Suite 160 Richmond, VA 23294 TEL: (804) 201-4198
Fredericksburg – 404 Westwood Office Park Fredericksburg, VA 22401 TEL: (540) 785-3162
- Bring your immunization records, if available.
- Call your health insurance company to see if any inoculations are covered.
It is the responsibility of every student who will be traveling abroad or out-of-state to research vaccination requirements and medication restrictions for the states/countries to (and through) which you are traveling.
Some vaccinations are also required for travel to certain destinations, while others may be recommended depending on the circumstances of the traveler – where you are going, length of stay, what you are doing, and the health of the traveler. You should consult with your physician to determine the best course of action.
Make sure that you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for you, when eligible. Visit CDC’s stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines page. Some countries/host sites may require additional booster doses in order for a traveler to be considered fully vaccinated. All travelers are responsible for ensuring that they meet each destination country/host site’s entry requirements.
COVID-19 Vaccination Record Request Portal
CPB reported they are finding CDC cards in the airport since people tuck them in their passport and then they fall out. CPB asks us to remind you that they do not check the CDC card, so you can put it away safely to decrease your chance of losing it.
If you got vaccinated for COVID-19 in Virginia, you can enter the information (Full Name, Date of Birth, and Zip Code) to locate your COVID-19 vaccinations in the Virginia Immunization Information System. Make sure to have both paper and electronic copies of your vaccination card when you travel.
- Once you save or print your record, your copy will not automatically update. If you receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to obtain an updated version of your record at https://vase.vdh.virginia.gov/vdhapps/f?p=545:1.
- The QR code on your record is compatible with the SMART Health Card format and can be scanned with the Verifier app to confirm your vaccination record and that the record was issued by the Virginia Department of Health. The QR code contains name, date of birth, dates of vaccination, manufacturer, lot information, and provider for each dose of vaccine received.
- For more information about your vaccination record, including QR codes, visit Frequently Asked Questions. For more information about COVID-19 vaccination, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).
