Geographic Medicine (GMC)

The Geographic Medicine Center (GMC) is engaged in clinical services, research, and teaching/educational activities in the areas of tropical diseases/emerging infections, vaccine preventable diseases, and travel health.

Johns Hopkins Travel & Tropical Medicine Clinics

Our clinics offer pre- and post-travel services for infectious diseases related to travel for adults 18 years and older. Persons younger than 18 should seek care through Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Research Program of the GMC

Our research focuses on vaccine-preventable diseases and high-consequence infectious diseases that may require care in a biocontainment unit.

Educational Activities of the GMC

We are engaged in clinical training and classroom teaching related to tropical diseases, emerging infections, and high consequence infections.

We believe global travel is a rewarding experience, revealing to us new people, places, and activities. To maintain health when traveling to particular locations, pre-travel interventions may be necessary. Upon your return, treatment may be necessary for illness and infections encountered during travel. Our recommendations are based on current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) travel notices and guidelines.

Pre-Travel Consultations

We take into account your current health status, documented immunization history, planned location(s) of travel, season in the country(s) of travel, and planned activities to develop a personalized pre-travel plan for prevention and self-treatment while abroad. We offer pre-travel recommendations related to:

At Your First Visit

At your initial consultation, we will:

• Review your health history, including immunizations.
• Review your travel plans.
• Complete a risk assessment.
• Discuss current CDC travel notices.
• Discuss personal prevention behaviors to reduce risks.
• Provide you with prevention recommendations to prevent illness or to self-treat if illness occurs while traveling.
• Recommendations may include immunizations, medications, and behavioral interventions.
• Provide you with written Vaccine Information Statements (VIS). Please read them and ask questions prior to receiving immunizations.
• Provide you with CDC-WHO International Certification of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (the “Yellow Card”) when receiving vaccines requiring certification.

Please note the following:

• We are a consultative service. We do not provide immunizations independently of pre-travel office visits.
• For routine immunizations in need of updating, you will be referred back to your Primary Care Provider for administration of the vaccine.
• There is a charge for replacement of lost vaccination certification cards, such as a Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination.

Insurance and Payment

• Most insurance policies do not cover pre-travel visits or travel vaccines, as this is considered a ’boutique service.’
• Please check with your insurance prior to consultation.
• Currently, you will be billed following your visit after a determination is made if any of your consultation or travel vaccines will be covered if you have not checked with your insurance company.

Evaluation and Treatment of Illness After You Travel

Our physicians and staff are trained to manage a wide variety of infections. Patients are seen only by referral from their Primary Care Provider.

• Respiratory infections
• Food and water-borne diseases (cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, traveler’s diarrhea, typhoid fever)
• Norovirus
• Mosquito-borne diseases, such as chikungunya, dengue, malaria, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika virus)
• Other insect-borne infections, such as Oropouche
• Parasites
• Skin infections related to travel
• Other travel-related diseases

Consultations

• Patients are only seen by referral from their Primary Care Provider (PCP).
• The PCP must fax the referral to our office at 410-614-2301.
• After review of the faxed information, we will contact the PCP regarding the requested appointment.

Travel Health Program Clinic (pre-travel assessment, counseling, and immunizations)

• Tuesdays & Thursdays

Ambulatory Tropical Medicine Service (post-travel illness)

• Appointments are scheduled after Primary Care Provider referral only.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Travelers’ Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Parasites