Travel vaccines in Canberra?

I realise this is an old thread but in case anyone needs to know one day… There are two new travel clinics, one in Belconnen Town Centre at Healthscope and one in Tuggeranong at Tuggeranong Family Medical Practice in Anketell St. I know because I was halfway through Bexsero meningococcal disease injections and I moved flats and couldn’t be bothered going to the original place. Same GP though which was great for me. Continuity and the follow up visit was on Medicare. Happy days. Otherwise I also googled a travel clinic in Civc where I work, Travel Doctor-TMVC Canberra but for some reason I didn’t end up going there. I think it cost more. No matter where you are in Canberra you’re covered by one of these three places. I am sure there are others too.

As a regular traveller to places that half the population have no idea they exist and think I made up the name, I’ve done the GP route and the Travel doctor route.

I didn’t feel the Travel doctor was pushy at all. I did get a couple of the free vaccinations like the flu while i was there, but primarily needed the yellow fever vaccination which a GP can’t do. Maybe a little more expensive, but if your GP is going to charge you for 2 visits, one to get the prescriptions and one to administer them, then maybe the travel doctor is cheaper.

My health fund actually covers me for vaccinations, not that I get a lot back for anything mind you!

But for simple update to Typhoid for example I’d call ahead and see if they can write a prescription to pick it up or if the GP can get it in stock for your visit.

That said anti-malarials and altitude medication are not preventative medications. You take them so if you get either your body is pre-medicated to deal with the symptoms ASAP. In the case of altitude you still should descend to a lower altitude. For malaria I find its far better to prevent being bitten.

I recently had vaccines for a trip to India, went to my GP, was given a script, went to the apothecary collected said vaccines, back to the GP for the jabs. Took around half an hour. The bastard didn’t give me a jelly bean after my shots though.

Gungahlin Family Healthcare stock travel vaccines including yellow fever

Dr Mills in oConnor can help you. He is excellent. Book ahead.

It definitely depends on where you are travelling. If you are travelling to places that have a risk of Yellow Fever (Southern Parts of Africa and almost all of South America) you will need to visit either the Travel Doctor in Civic or Dickson (Civic is a little cheaper than Dickson).
For someone who is going to Bali, any doctor will request you could cover your bases with a simple Hepatitis A + Typhoid vaccination (they are combined into one needle). Depending on where you are travelling within Bali (if you go rural) you might want to consider some antimalarial (like Doxycycline).
I would recommend doing some reading online. Travel Doctors are generally in the business of ‘selling products’ because it positively impacts their bottom line.
For everyone who is worried about travel vaccines, please apply the following method:
If you are going on a stock-standard holiday to a common travel destination, just go to your GP (would recommend doing some of your own research first as GP’s get very little to no training in travel vaccinations).
If your trip is to Africa, South America, rural developing countries, travelling at high altitudes or somewhere that puts you at high risk… its worth going to a specialist.
I know first-hand that travel doctors can be a very expensive visit (when making a booking, ask for a rough estimate on how much it is going to cost) but it is always better than getting Malaria…

Your GP is the best. They know your history. I have heard many stories that the Travel Doc in civic overcharges and gives injections that aren’t needed.

I have always been to my GP, if he doesn’t have it in stock will give me a script to go get it then I just go to the nurse in the practice.

Alderney said :

Unless you’re disorganised and you’ve left it too late your GP should be able to sort you. I travel OS for work and give my GP a heads up about where I’m going and he either gets them in or I nip across to the chemist and go straight back to get the required jabs. Plus, your GP will know your history and whether you need certain shots or not.

^ That. Also, your GP knows you and your health and is the best position to advise you.

-1 Travel doctor
In my experience they were very expensive and stretched out the initial consultation (so they could charge me extra for a long consultation rather than a short one). During the consultation the doctor spent a long time searching the internet for information on my destinations and told me obvious things like don’t drink the water. You would think they would have the information ready before consultations to save their customers time and money.

They also try to sell you an extremely overpriced medical kit that would probably cost half the price if the contents were purchased at the chemist.

I would get as many vaccines from your GP and then see them or the travel vaccine place in Dickson.

Travel Clinic in Dickson. They’re not cheap, but they definitely have never recommended anything unnecessary. Go for one of the older doctors there. A few years ago, some of the younger ones lacked a bit of experience in normal GP things.