Medical Advice for Travel to Africa

If you will be visiting us, be sure to start with a trip to the doctor's office. Often you can get all of the following shots at your doctor's office and have many covered by your health insurance. For those of you in Chicago, I recommend that you use the Travel Medicine Source or another travel clinic for jabs you can't get at the regular doctor's office.

Travel Medicine Source (offers Northwestern discount)
9129 Waukrgan Road
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-663-1566

YOU'LL NEED:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Polio Booster
Yellow Fever (optional, expensive)
Regular Vaccination against Measles, Tetanus, etc. (you should already have these!)
Maleria prevention pills- for short term visits, I would recommend Malarone if your prescription plan covers it or doxycycline if you need something cheap. The risk with the second is that it will make you more likely to sunburn.

Be sure to check out the CDC website for information on these vaccines, what kinds of diseases you might encounter in Africa, what kinds of medical stuff to bring, etc. Or you can just get your jabs, drink bottled water, wear sunscreen, eat cooked food, and enjoy yourself!