Long waiting times expected for travel consultations: plan your vaccination in time

The travel clinic of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp expects a sharp increase in travel consultations in the coming months. In 2022, waiting times reached up to seven weeks. To avoid this delay, ITM encourages travellers to already check on Wanda which vaccines they need and schedule their appointment as soon as possible.

From May to the end of August, all Belgian travel clinics are expecting a big rush. In June 2022 alone, ITM doctors conducted 1,955 travel consultations and vaccinators administered 2,278 vaccines. While travellers can also visit their general practitioners for travel vaccinations, the yellow fever vaccine is only available at authorised vaccination centres such as ITM. Yellow fever vaccines are recommended and sometimes even compulsory for traveling to countries such as Colombia, Senegal, Tanzania and Ghana.

Don't wait until after the Easter holidays

To avoid long waiting times, it is important to schedule travel consultations and vaccinations in time. Some vaccines require several doses which must be administered at specific moments. According to Dr Ula Maniewski-Kelner, infectiologist at the ITM travel clinic, it is best to schedule consultations ad early as possible, particularly for vaccinations such as rabies that require two doses at least a week apart. Travellers can schedule an appointment through the revamped ITM website.

Wanda takes you a long way already

A good overview of your travel health is worth its weight in gold. It is important to know which measures are recommended, whether it is best to take malaria pills preventively and which vaccinations are advisable or mandatory. This is why ITM has developed the portable travel health expert Wanda. The website and app list all the necessary vaccinations and health risks for each country. The app is free and you can also consult it offline. For more information, visit www.wanda.be/en/.