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Education Abroad Office

Immunizations & Medications

Immunizations & medications are an important aspect of health while abroad. Be sure to make yourself aware of the customs regulations regarding medicines brought into your host country. While discussing immunizations with your health care provider, consider not only your study abroad location, but any other countries where you might travel.

Immunizations

  • Check the immunization requirements for your destination and make sure you are up to date before departure.
  • You can visit the UofSC Thomson Student Health Center Travel Clinic for any immunization needs, questions, or additional travel health information.
  • Travel Clinic appointments should be scheduled at least eight weeks prior to the date of anticipated travel to ensure that vaccines are administered in time.

Medications

  • Bring an adequate supply of medication(s) to last the entire duration of your program and be sure to bring a copy of any prescriptions or other documentation proving a doctor prescribed you the medication(s).
  • If your medication(s) needs to be refrigerated, you should contact your airline to ensure it has the ability to refrigerate your medication(s) during your flight.
  • Some medications may not be available in your host country or are very difficult to obtain. However, you should not ship your medication(s) from home after arrival in your host country. They could be held in customs for months.
  • Research comparable over-the-counter medications in your host country prior to departure. Something like Tylenol/acetaminophen may go by a different name, come in different doses, have different ingredients, or not be available at all.
  • Be sure to speak with your doctor prior to departure to discuss the best plan regarding the transport, availability, and use of your medication(s) while abroad.
  • If you are not able to obtain an adequate supply of medication from your U.S. health provider, please contact the EAO team.  We will assist you in opening a case with our international insurance company who can research the availability of your medication in your destination country and connect you with a health provider in your destination country to ensure the continuity of your medication supply.

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