Book 4-6 weeks out: series vaccines need spacing, yellow fever counts from ten days, most shots take two weeks to work. Last-minute hepatitis A still helps - some beats none.
What to do
Common questions
How long before travel should I get vaccines?
The standard advice is a travel health visit four to six weeks before departure, and the logic is threefold: some vaccines need multiple doses spaced weeks apart - hepatitis B and rabies series are the long ones; some need time to become valid or effective - yellow fever cards count from ten days after the shot, and most vaccines take about two weeks to build protection; and a consult surfaces things you forgot - routine boosters, malaria pills to start before arrival, destination-specific alerts. The realistic minimums: hepatitis A works meaningfully even given the week of departure - one dose gives solid short-term protection; typhoid pills take five days to complete, the shot one visit; tetanus and flu boosters work immediately-ish. So a last-minute trip still gets protection - the rule is some vaccine beats no vaccine, and CDC traveler guidance supports vaccinating even close to departure. The planning order that works: six weeks out, book the travel clinic or pharmacy consult and check the CDC destination page for your itinerary; two weeks out, finish anything needing spacing; the week of, confirm malaria pills started if prescribed, pack the yellow fever card if issued, and photograph every document. Cruise, safari, and rural itineraries deserve the full six weeks - they carry the most destination-specific requirements. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text. Share your destination and departure date, and it can help you build the timeline.