Saving Money on Pre-Overseas Trip Vaccinations

When traveling abroad, you’re probably thinking of a million things: jetlag, passports, customs, the language and cultural barriers to doing business and what kind of food you’ll eat while you’re on the road. Japanese encephalitis, malaria, even good old tetanus might not be foremost in your mind. But they should be.

Getting properly vaccinated before traveling to another part of the world is one of the most important steps you can take to make sure your trip goes off without a hitch. But it’s also one of the most unexpectedly expensive. The Wall Street Journal (subscription only) had a few excellent suggestions for those with impending international travel plans:

• Be prepared. Check with the CDC to find out which vaccines are recommended for the part of the world you’re traveling to. Some doctors may overlook certain important vaccines.
• Get specialized. Go to a special travel health clinic instead of to your general internist. In the Seattle area, the University of Washington has a great travel clinic.
• Use your HSA or FSA. Oftentimes, insurance companies won’t cover the costs of preventative medicine for world travel. The theory is that if you can afford to go to Africa, you should be able to afford a malaria vaccine. Using pre-tax money from your company’s flexible spending account or from your health savings account may be the best way to defray some of the costs associated with pre-trip medical care. And if you’re traveling on business, don’t be shy about asking your employer to cover the cost of your vaccinations.

Oh yeah, and try to stay away from birds.