TheFluMaster
Resident
Clinics handle travel vaccines
Business began once doctors curtailed shots
Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 24, 2006 12:00 AM
With fears of bird flu, anthrax and other dreaded diseases increasing,
the vaccine business has become more important than ever for travelers.
For 12 years, Baltimore-based Passport Health has been specializing in
vaccines, from helping to develop new ones to giving shots to tourists
and businesspeople traveling abroad.
Passport Health has four clinics in the Phoenix area. One is in
central Phoenix, one is in Tempe, another is in Glendale and the
fourth opened Monday in Scottsdale
The business was founded in 1994 by nurse Fran Lessans, who realized
she was spending a lot of time advising people what shots they needed
to travel internationally to avoid yellow fever, hepatitis, rabies and
other diseases. So she founded a vaccine company.
Passport Health has about 120 locations in the country and claims to
be the largest purchaser of vaccinations in the United States outside
of the federal government.
One reason the company has grown is that many doctors no longer give
vaccines for travel because insurance companies may not cover the
shots and because it is so complicated these days keeping track of
what vaccines are recommended or required for what countries, said
nurse Colleen Kavanagh, who directs the Phoenix locations.
"Most countries are not concerned whether you get sick or not,"
Kavanagh said. "They are concerned that you will bring in something."
Passport Health constantly monitors health risks popping up all around
the world and vaccine requirements. Kavanagh gets e-mails daily from
several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the World Health Organization. Some countries, such as
China, are more secretive, she said.
May and June are the busiest time of the year for the company because
of recreational travelers getting shots.
Unfortunately, many travelers forget about immunizations until it's
too late. Ideally, shots should be given six to eight weeks before
departure because that's about how long it takes for antibodies to
develop.
Costs can range from $25 for a flu shot to almost $200 for a series of
rabies shots.
Although vaccines aren't needed for short trips to Mexico, they are
recommended for longer visits.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/0624tr-
passport0621Z3.html
Business began once doctors curtailed shots
Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 24, 2006 12:00 AM
With fears of bird flu, anthrax and other dreaded diseases increasing,
the vaccine business has become more important than ever for travelers.
For 12 years, Baltimore-based Passport Health has been specializing in
vaccines, from helping to develop new ones to giving shots to tourists
and businesspeople traveling abroad.
Passport Health has four clinics in the Phoenix area. One is in
central Phoenix, one is in Tempe, another is in Glendale and the
fourth opened Monday in Scottsdale
The business was founded in 1994 by nurse Fran Lessans, who realized
she was spending a lot of time advising people what shots they needed
to travel internationally to avoid yellow fever, hepatitis, rabies and
other diseases. So she founded a vaccine company.
Passport Health has about 120 locations in the country and claims to
be the largest purchaser of vaccinations in the United States outside
of the federal government.
One reason the company has grown is that many doctors no longer give
vaccines for travel because insurance companies may not cover the
shots and because it is so complicated these days keeping track of
what vaccines are recommended or required for what countries, said
nurse Colleen Kavanagh, who directs the Phoenix locations.
"Most countries are not concerned whether you get sick or not,"
Kavanagh said. "They are concerned that you will bring in something."
Passport Health constantly monitors health risks popping up all around
the world and vaccine requirements. Kavanagh gets e-mails daily from
several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the World Health Organization. Some countries, such as
China, are more secretive, she said.
May and June are the busiest time of the year for the company because
of recreational travelers getting shots.
Unfortunately, many travelers forget about immunizations until it's
too late. Ideally, shots should be given six to eight weeks before
departure because that's about how long it takes for antibodies to
develop.
Costs can range from $25 for a flu shot to almost $200 for a series of
rabies shots.
Although vaccines aren't needed for short trips to Mexico, they are
recommended for longer visits.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/0624tr-
passport0621Z3.html