Whether you’re headed to a tropical paradise, on an African safari or somewhere in between, don’t leave home without a trip to the UAB Travelers Health Clinic. It could very well save your vacation and keep you from bringing home a nasty bug.
The UAB Travelers Health Clinic located at The Kirklin Clinic® in the UAB Medical Center District is widely recognized as a leader in tropical medicine and international health. It was recently named one of the top travel clinics in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler.
The UAB Travelers Health Clinic is the largest travel/tropical medicine clinic in the state and is the only one that has a complete inventory of vaccines and physicians who are specially trained and certified in travel medicine.
More people are traveling abroad than ever before, and unfortunately many doctors are not familiar with exotic diseases from 230 different countries and how to treat them.
Clinic Director David Freedman, M.D., is board certified in infectious diseases, internal medicine, tropical medicine and travelers’ health. His team participates in ongoing training to stay on top of their field.
The UAB Travelers Health Clinic is also part of an international effort to keep track of changing disease patterns, giving the clinic an edge in a quicker diagnosis. The clinic took part in a worldwide study headed by Dr. Freedman that tracked data from more than 17,000 travelers who got sick. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows disease trends from region to region.
You know the saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s why it’s so important for you to visit the UAB Travelers Health Clinic before you take off on an exotic adventure. Patients should bring their vaccine history and an exact itinerary with them to their appointment. The itinerary is very important because different things are required for different parts of a particular country. It is best to visit the clinic a month before your trip in case you need a series of shots. The care you receive is customized to your specific medical history.
If you’d like more information, visit uabhealth.org/travelersclinic. To schedule an appointment, please call UAB HealthFinder at (205) 934-9999 or 1-800-UAB-8816.