checklist
Your Complete Travel Health Checklist Before an International Trip
Imagine Health Team·Pharmacist, Imagine Health Pharmacy·December 3, 2025
Booking flights and hotels is the fun part. Making sure you don't come home sick? That's the part most travelers skip — and regret. Use this checklist to make sure you're fully prepared before your next international trip.
6–8 Weeks Before Departure
- ☐ Book a travel health consultation — a pharmacist will assess your specific itinerary and create a personalized vaccine and prevention plan
- ☐ Start multi-dose vaccine series — Hepatitis B (3 doses), Rabies (2–3 doses), and Japanese Encephalitis (2 doses) need this lead time
- ☐ Check your passport — make sure it's valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates
- ☐ Review your health insurance — does your plan cover medical emergencies abroad? Consider supplemental travel medical insurance
4 Weeks Before Departure
- ☐ Get single-dose vaccines — Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and Meningococcal all provide protection within 2 weeks
- ☐ Start antimalarial medication if needed — Mefloquine should be started 2–3 weeks before departure
- ☐ Complete Dukoral series — two oral doses taken 1 week apart for cholera and traveler's diarrhea protection
- ☐ Verify routine vaccines are current — Tetanus, MMR, Polio, and COVID-19 boosters
1–2 Weeks Before Departure
- ☐ Start Malarone or Doxycycline if prescribed — begin 1–2 days before entering the malaria zone
- ☐ Pack your travel health kit: DEET insect repellent (20%+), sunscreen, oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrhea medication, pain/fever relief, antihistamines, hand sanitizer, standby antibiotics (if prescribed), motion sickness medication, altitude medication (if applicable)
- ☐ Make copies of your vaccination records — carry physical and digital copies, especially your Yellow Fever certificate if required
- ☐ Set up medication reminders — daily antimalarials need to be taken consistently
Day of Departure
- ☐ Take your antimalarial medication with food
- ☐ Pack medications in carry-on — never check prescription medications in luggage
- ☐ Carry your vaccination certificate in your passport holder
- ☐ Download your destination's embassy contact info for emergencies
During Your Trip
- ☐ Apply insect repellent daily (especially at dusk and dawn)
- ☐ Drink only bottled or purified water — avoid ice in drinks
- ☐ Eat freshly cooked, hot food — avoid raw vegetables, unpeeled fruits, and buffet food that's been sitting out
- ☐ Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer
- ☐ Avoid contact with stray animals
- ☐ Continue antimalarial medication for the full course (7 or 28 days after leaving the malaria zone, depending on the medication)
Need Help Preparing?
This checklist is a starting point, but every trip is different. A professional travel health consultation covers everything specific to your destinations, activities, and health history. Book yours today at Imagine Health Pharmacy in South Calgary.
📍 #4120 – 15 Sunpark Plaza SE, Calgary, AB T2X 0M5
📞 (403) 910-3990
🌐 Book a Travel Health Consultation
Plan Your Trip by Destination
Use our destination-specific travel health guides to find the exact vaccines and precautions you need:
- Thailand Travel Vaccines — Malaria, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A
- India Travel Vaccines — Typhoid, hepatitis A, rabies, malaria in some regions
- Kenya Travel Vaccines — Yellow fever required, malaria, typhoid, meningitis
- Jamaica Travel Vaccines — Hepatitis A, typhoid (no malaria risk)
- Mexico Travel Vaccines — Typhoid, hepatitis A, malaria in rural areas
- Vietnam Travel Vaccines — Typhoid, hepatitis A, malaria, Japanese encephalitis
- Brazil Travel Vaccines — Yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, malaria in Amazon
- South Africa Travel Vaccines — Yellow fever (if arriving from endemic area), malaria