Global travel can expose children to illnesses rarely found in the United States. Preparation for international travel helps families and children avoid unexpected illnesses, infections and injuries.
The Travel Medicine Program at Riley at IU Health provides comprehensive health services before and after your trip, including preventive medicine, vaccinations, travel education and support for parents of internationally adopted children.
Our travel medicine specialists check your child's current health and provide information about preventing and avoiding disease based on what area of the globe you are visiting. If necessary, we prescribe medicines and administer vaccinations.
We also provide follow-up care once you return home from your travels. Our lab is capable of diagnosing many travel-related conditions such as malaria and parasitic and diarrheal infections. If you or your child has a suspected travel-related illness, we have the resources and expertise to manage your care.
We are here to help you prepare for a safe, healthy trip abroad. Our specialists have extensive training and experience in travel medicine, pre-travel counseling, immunizations and the care of children with travel-associated illnesses. We work with young travelers of all ages and the adults who are accompanying them on their trip.
Immunizations and medicines needed for travel differ for each country. We recommend scheduling an appointment with one of our travel medicine specialists at least one month before leaving on your trip. Prevention is the first step for safe travel.
Most travel illnesses are prevented by:
- Education about avoiding exposure
- Using preventive medicines
- Receiving specialized vaccines
Most doctors and other healthcare professionals in the U.S. are unfamiliar with many travel-associated illnesses. Our travel medicine team stays current on the latest alerts and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Conditions & Services
Conditions Treated
Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.
Doctors and
Locations
Doctors
Our infectious disease doctors are available for consultation and evaluation of illnesses that may be related to travel to other parts of the world.
Locations
Locations
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.
Riley Infectious Diseases
575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Riley Pediatric Infectious Disease
11590 N Meridian St
Carmel, IN 46032
Program Forms & Resources
Program Forms & Resources
The Travel Medicine Program at Riley at IU Health provides the following forms for parents, healthcare providers and personnel. We have also curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.
Resources
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The Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health
Information about the Riley at IU Health Ryan White Center for Infectious Disease can be found on the Indiana University School of Medicine website.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This government website provides information about travel-related infections, including diarrheal illnesses, dermatologic conditions, malaria and respiratory disorders.
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This government website provides information about traveler's health, including a section about children.
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This website provides important, up-to-date information about international travel and health.
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American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
This website has a searchable directory of physicians and clinics that offer tropical medicine services.
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International Society for Travel Medicine
This website promotes healthy travel worldwide and has a global travel clinic directory.
Related Programs & Departments
Related Programs & Departments
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs & departments.
Health Professionals
For Health Professionals
We work with referring physicians to provide specialized care to children with infectious diseases. Physicians can reach an infectious disease specialist at 317.944.5000. For consultations or referrals, please call 317.944.72608 or send a fax to 317.948.0860. Physicians may also call the Riley at IU Health Transfer Center at 317.963.3333.
Refer A Patient
Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.
Refer A PatientResearch
Visit the Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research at Indiana University School of Medicine for information about the latest research in Travel Medicine and Malaria.
Education
We are committed to educating and training medical students, physician assistants, residents and fellows. The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at the IU School of Medicine is based at Riley at IU Health. It is a three-year program that prepares fellows for a career as an academic pediatric infectious disease specialist.