Sanford Health clinics in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Fargo, North Dakota, are among a limited number of providers in the U.S. that offer a vaccine to protect overseas travelers against yellow fever.
A shortage of the YF-VAX® vaccine prompted the organization to take part in a program that provides access to an alternative medication called STAMARIL®. That yellow fever vaccine is licensed in 70 countries but remains investigational in the U.S. Sanford Health joined the expansion program to make the yellow fever vaccination process safe and convenient for all of its travelers.
KELO-TV’s HealthBeat featured a recent Augustana University graduate who received the vaccine as a precaution before traveling to Rwanda.
The availability of the shot and others is among the information provided to travelers through the Sanford Infectious Disease & Travel Medicine Clinic, which offers individual and group education sessions as well as on-site or video-conferenced group visits. Ideally, these visits should be scheduled two months prior to travel to maximize preparedness, although the clinic can accommodate travelers at any time.
Individual and group travelers who come into the clinic receive written materials from Shoreland Travax, the leading travel medicine support resource. This packet includes the most up-to-date information about the specific infectious disease and safety concerns in the area(s) of planned travel. At each visit, clinic staff provide specific education on each of the following topics: recommended immunizations, malaria risk, traveler’s diarrhea and other country-specific information.
In addition to visits, the clinic offers group visits for educational institutions, missionary groups and employers. For organizations located in Sioux Falls the clinic can schedule a travel nurse education session at its office or onsite. For organizations located outside of Sioux Falls, staff can arrange for group education through video conferencing. After the education sessions, they will follow up with individual appointments for travelers to receive specific immunizations and prescriptions.
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