Two students preparing vaccinations for demonstration
Do you have a trip coming up? Then you might be thinking about travel vaccines. In preparing for your trip, you’ll probably pick a few things up from the pharmacy. Your travel vaccine could be one of them.

 Pharmacists have been allowed to give flu shots since 2012, and in December 2016, vaccines against 13 additional diseases were added to the list of vaccinations they can provide. Many of these include vaccines commonly used for travel. Here’s the full list:

  • Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) - for tuberculosis
  • Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
  • Japanese Encephalitis
  • Meningococcal disease
  • Pneumococcal disease
  • Rabies
  • Typhoid
  • Varicella
  • Yellow Fever

You can receive shots for any of these right in the pharmacy, so long as you are five years of age or older. In some cases, a prescription isn't required; you can speak directly to the pharmacist and receive the vaccine promptly. The pharmacist can let you know which ones require a prescription.

Next time you need a vaccination, give your pharmacist a call. They can answer your questions and let you know about what’s required.

The #RethinkPharmacists series is presented by the Waterloo School of Pharmacy for Pharmacists Awareness Month in March. The series highlights services pharmacists provide in addition to standard prescription filling and counselling.

Check out other entries the series: