Planning an international trip is exciting. Figuring out which vaccines you need, whether you should take malaria medication, and what to pack in your travel health kit? Not always quite as exciting.

That is where a virtual travel health appointment can help.

At Virtual Travel Clinic, you can meet with a Travel Medicine Professional online to review your trip, discuss potential health risks and receive personalized recommendations for vaccines, medications and other ways to stay healthy while travelling. 

And the best part? You can do it from home.

No driving across town. No waiting room. Just your laptop or phone, your travel plans and a little preparation before takeoff.

What Is a Virtual Travel Health Appointment?

A virtual travel health appointment is a secure online consultation with a Travel Medicine Professional who specialises in travel health.

Instead of simply asking, “What vaccines do I need?”, the appointment looks at your specific trip and your individual health history.

Your Travel Medicine Professional considers things such as:

• Where you are travelling
• How long you will be away
• What activities you have planned
• Your vaccination history
• Your medical history
• Allergies
• Current medications
• Potential health risks at your destination

This information helps determine which vaccines, medications and preventative measures may be appropriate for you. 

Your Travel Health Appointment at a Glance

Step 1: Book Your Virtual Appointment

The first step is choosing the travel consultation that fits your trip.

Virtual Travel Clinic offers different travel medicine consultation options depending on your needs, including comprehensive travel consultations and specialised appointments for concerns such as malaria, traveller’s diarrhea and yellow fever. 

If you are visiting multiple destinations, make sure you select an appointment that allows enough time to discuss your itinerary.

Travelling with others? Group bookings are also available for travellers on the same itinerary. 

Book Your Virtual Travel Health Appointment

Step 2: Complete Your Intake Form

After booking, you will receive an email with your electronic intake form.

This is an important part of the process because your Travel Medicine Professional uses the information to prepare for your appointment. 

You will be asked about things such as:

Your trip

• Destination
• Travel dates
• Length of stay
• Planned activities

Your vaccination history

• Previous routine vaccinations
• Previous travel vaccines
• Available immunisation records

Your health

• Current medications
• Allergies
• Medical history
• Other relevant health information

A little preparation goes a long way

If you have access to your vaccination records, have them nearby before your appointment.

It is also helpful to have a list of your current medications available.

The more complete your intake information is, the easier it is for your Travel Medicine Professional to understand your travel plans and provide personalized advice.

Step 3: Meet With Your Travel Medicine Professional

This is where your travel health plan starts to come together.

Your appointment takes place virtually through a secure telehealth platform. Virtual Travel Clinic’s comprehensive consultation is listed as a 20-minute telehealth appointment, although appointment length can vary depending on the service selected. 

During your appointment, your Travel Medicine Professional will review your itinerary and health information and conduct a travel health risk assessment.

You can discuss questions such as:

“Do I need travel vaccines?”

Your recommendations are based on your destination, itinerary, activities and health history. Your Travel Medicine Professional can help determine which vaccines may be recommended or required.

“Will I need malaria medication?”

If your destination presents a malaria risk, your Travel Medicine Professional can discuss prevention strategies and whether preventive medication may be appropriate. 

“What if I get traveller’s diarrhea?”

Your appointment can include advice about preventing travel-related gastrointestinal illnesses and, when appropriate, prescriptions or over-the-counter medication recommendations. 

“What other health risks should I know about?”

Travel health is about more than vaccines.

You may also discuss food and water safety, insect-bite prevention and other destination-specific precautions. 

Step 4: Get Your Personalized Travel Health Plan

Once your travel health assessment is complete, your Travel Medicine Professional can provide recommendations based on your individual circumstances.

Depending on your needs, this may include:

• Recommended or required travel vaccines
• Prescriptions for travel medications
• Malaria prevention
• Traveller’s diarrhea prevention or treatment
• Advice about food and water safety
• Insect-bite prevention
• Other destination-specific health advice

Virtual Travel Clinic provides prescriptions for travel vaccinations and oral medications when appropriate, based on your medical history, itinerary and planned activities. 

The goal isn’t to give every traveller the same checklist.

It’s to create a travel health plan that makes sense for your trip.

Step 5: Get Your Vaccines and Medications

Here’s where the virtual part might make you wonder:

“If my appointment is online, where do I get my vaccines?”

Easy!

The consultation takes place virtually, while vaccine administration and medication dispensing are handled through a local pharmacy. Your Travel Medicine Professional can help connect you with pharmacies that have the appropriate vaccines or medications available. 

Depending on the medication and service, prescriptions may also be mailed to you. 

So your travel health journey can look something like this:

💻 Virtual appointment → 📋 Personalized recommendations → 💉 Local pharmacy → ✈️ Ready for your trip

What Should You Have Ready for Your Appointment?

Want to make your appointment as smooth as possible?

Have these handy:

🌎 Your itinerary

Know where you’re going, including different countries, cities or regions if you’re visiting more than one destination.

📅 Your travel dates

Your departure date and length of stay can affect travel health recommendations.

💉 Your vaccine records

Bring your immunisation history if you have access to it.

💊 Your medication list

Have a list of your current medications, including doses if possible.

🧳 Your planned activities

A resort holiday, safari, backpacking trip and business trip can have very different health considerations.

🩺 Relevant health information

Be prepared to discuss allergies, medical conditions and other information that may affect vaccine or medication recommendations.

When Should You Book a Virtual Travel Health Appointment?

Ideally, travel health planning should happen before your trip, giving you time to complete recommended vaccinations and obtain any prescriptions.

Virtual Travel Clinic’s current website recommends planning ahead, while also noting that last-minute travellers can still receive personalized recommendations based on the time available before departure. 

Our recommendation for travellers is to book 2 to 4 weeks before departure.

However, if you’re leaving sooner, don’t panic and don’t skip the appointment.

Last-minute travel happens. Some protection is better than none, and a Travel Medicine Professional can help determine what may still be appropriate before you leave.

Why Choose a Virtual Travel Health Appointment?

For busy Canadians, the biggest benefit may be convenience.

Your travel health appointment can happen from wherever you are in Canada, without travelling to a physical clinic.

You can:

✔️ Meet virtually

Speak with a Travel Medicine Professional online.

✔️ Get destination-specific advice

Your recommendations are based on your itinerary, activities and health history.

✔️ Discuss vaccines and medications

Find out what may be recommended or required for your trip.

✔️ Get prescriptions when appropriate

Travel medications and vaccine prescriptions can be provided when medically appropriate. 

✔️ Use a local pharmacy

Your vaccines and medications can be obtained through a pharmacy coordinating your travel medicine needs. 

✔️ Skip the commute

Your travel health planning can happen from home.

Is a Virtual Appointment Right for You?

If you’re travelling internationally and want help understanding your health risks before departure, a virtual travel health appointment can be a convenient way to prepare.

It can be particularly helpful if you:

• Are travelling to multiple countries
• Need travel vaccines
• Are considering malaria prevention
• Need travel medication
• Are travelling with children or family
• Are visiting friends or relatives overseas
• Are going on a safari, cruise or adventure trip
• Are travelling somewhere with specific health risks
• Have a last-minute trip coming up

The key is that travel medicine is personalized.

The right recommendations for one traveller may not be the right recommendations for another, even if they’re visiting the same country.

Your Trip Starts Before You Board

A great trip begins long before you reach the airport.

Taking time to review your travel health needs can help you understand potential risks, prepare appropriate medications and make informed decisions about vaccines and prevention.

And with Virtual Travel Clinic, that preparation can happen from home.

Ready to get your travel health plan started?

Book a Virtual Travel Health Consultation

FAQ’s