Travel Health
Travelling overseas? Make sure you book an appointment with your GP at least 6-8 weeks prior to your departure.
Before you travel, make sure to book an appointment with your doctor 6 to 8 weeks in advance. This will help you get ready for your trip and receive personalised advice on health risks and vaccinations for your destination. Taking this step will keep you safe and healthy as you explore new places!
At Southern Doctors Clinic, you can access a range of comprehensive travel medicine services including:
Travel vaccinations
Region-specific travel advice and education
Post-travel assistance
Travel Vaccines
If you travel internationally, you may be at risk of contracting diseases that vaccination can prevent. Alongside this, different countries have different vaccination requirements. The recommended vaccines for travelling depend on a number of factors including:
your age
pregnancy or planning pregnancy
underlying medical conditions
vaccination history
birthplace
location
season of travel
If you had some travel vaccines in the past, your immunity to diseases may have changed or reduced with time, and therefore, you might need a booster.
We have a range of travel vaccines on-site, including yellow fever, hepatitis B, and typhoid. Our GPs can also provide you with a prescription for any vaccines that we might not have on-site. You can then take the prescription to your local pharmacy and return with the vaccine for our nurse to administer it to you.
Yellow Fever vaccination
Southern Doctors Clinic is an authorised yellow fever vaccination centre. Yellow fever can be a serious disease that causes fever, jaundice, and damages the liver and kidneys. It is found in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
You must be immunised for yellow fever before you can legally enter some countries. Only authorised yellow fever vaccination centres such as Southern Doctors Clinic can administer yellow fever vaccinations and provide you with an international certification.
Yellow fever vaccine is recommended for people ≥9 months of age who are travelling to an area with a risk of yellow fever virus transmission.
The following travellers are recommended to receive a booster dose if their last vaccine dose was 10 years ago or more:
women who were pregnant (in any trimester) when they received their 1st dose of yellow fever vaccine
people who had HIV when they received their 1st dose of yellow fever vaccine
people who will be staying in a high-risk location for an extended period of time
people travelling to an area with ongoing outbreaks
How to check your vaccination record
You may have received vaccines from past travels or routine immunisations, which are recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The AIR tracks vaccines given to everyone in Australia, including those from the National Immunisation Program, school programs, and private vaccinations (like flu shots or travel vaccines).
You can check your immunisation record online through MyGov, or by calling 1800 653 809 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
How to stay safe overseas
The vaccine information you find on various websites is only a guide. You should not rely on such information. Talk to your doctor or travel health clinic for advice on travel vaccines and how to stay safe while you are overseas.
Find more information:
Travel Health Information for things to consider before you leave, while you are away, and when you return.
Travel Map - View official travel advice and vaccine recommendations for a country you plan on visiting.
Smartraveller (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Travellers’ health (US Center for Disease Control & Prevention)