Medical Services

Travel Medicine

CU on the Road Travel Medicine Program offers information and immunizations for international travel. For more than 20 years, CU On the Road has worked with students, faculty, and staff to prepare for vacation, work, or academic journeys abroad.

Travel Assessments

Individualized, pre-travel assessments identify health risks for a specific trip by providing information about:

• Infectious diseases
• Immunizations
• Water/food precautions
• Malaria prevention
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention
• Altitude sickness
• First aid/travel medicine supplies
• Safe transportation

During this one-hour appointment, vaccination records will be reviewed, so you should bring all records to your visit, even if you think we already have them. In some cases, subsequent visits may be necessary to complete certain immunization series for your destination.

You will be provided with the most up to date travel health information, which will include recommended and required immunizations for the country(ies) to which you will be traveling.

Prescriptions
All necessary travel medications, including malaria prophylaxis will be discussed and written during your assessment.

If you will be traveling overseas for an extended period, you should plan in advance for your other prescription medication needs. Specifically, most insurance plans only allow for a 30-day supply of prescription medications. If your trip will have you out of the country for more than a month, plan ahead. Students insured under the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan should contact Aetna Student Health to request approval for a medication supply adequate to meet their travel needs. Students who carry other insurance plans should contact their carrier for more information.

Making An Appointment

The travel assessments are available by appointment only. We recommend that the initial assessment be set up well in advance of the departure date. Often travel vaccinations require six weeks to several months. As a rule of thumb, please make an appointment at the same time you reserve your tickets for your trip. CU on the Road also offers reduced rates to groups of three or more travelers with the same destination(s) who would like to complete the travel assessment visit together.

Prior to Your Appointment

• Please complete the online questionnaire via Open Communicator or respond to the email questionnaire, which will be sent to you once you make an appointment.
• Collect as much information regarding your immunization history and bring it along to your appointment. Original documents are not necessary.

Assessments through the CU on the Road Travel Medicine Program are in high demand and, therefore, limited. Please keep your appointment. As a courtesy to other travelers, please contact us immediately if you cannot make your scheduled appointment or cancel your appointment online using Open Communicator. If you do not cancel your schedule appointment at least 48 hours in advance, you will not be able to schedule another appointment within the same semester. CU on the Road Travel Medicine Program will provide names of other travel programs in the New York area as an alternate reference, please keep in mind that you will be responsible for all associated costs.

Who is Eligible? What Does It Cost?

Any Columbia University student, staff, or faculty member from the Morningside campus is eligible for a travel assessment. CU on the Road also provides assessments for spouses and registered partners of Columbia University students, staff, and faculty.

For information about costs for the assessment, as well as required and suggested immunizations, go to Fees.

Health Insurance

Whether you are traveling out of state or out of the country, it is important to understand your health insurance policy. Many travelers need to purchase additional traveler's insurance from companies specifically designed to meet these needs. Be sure to ask if medical evacuation is provided.

If you are enrolled in the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan, your travel insurance benefits (including medical evacuation) are provided by On Call International.

Faculty and staff who are traveling out of the country should call the HR Benefits Service Center at (212) 851-7000.