My arm hurts

I had to get my Hepatitis A booster shot, una vacuna, today. I got the first one back in June 2004, (along with shots for Tetanus/Diptheria, Yellow Fever, and Typhus) before going to Venezuela for the first time, and now I'm superimmune for 20 years. The idea of not needing another HepA vacuna until I'm 46 is kind of nice. Though the idea of being 46 is downright terrifying.

The nurse at the travel clinic at Glenbrook Hospital, Glenbrook Illinios, filled out my Yellow Card and told me when I would need to be vaccinated again for all of the above. I've got ten years on the tetanus and yellow fever, but only three on the typhus. I lucked out with Glenbrook, and found the only place in the Chicagoland area who billed my insurance company for the first round of jabs. Out of a $476 tab, I paid a $76 consultation fee and the insurance picked up the rest. With any luck, lightning will strike twice and today's shot will be covered too.

So, prospective expat, I suggest doing the legwork to find a travel clinic that will bill the man for your essential immunizations. It's not easy, as most travel clinics will not bother with insurance billing and just force you to pay out of pocket, figuring that if you can afford to travel abroad, you can afford the Benjamins for the shots. Screw that. I pay enough in health insurance premiums every month.

In fact, I'm going to compile a master listing of all possible necessary vacunas, and make myself another appointment with the friendly Nurse at Glenbrook, before I take my leave of my corporate job and my beefy health insurance. Sure, I probably won't need to prevent against Ebola or Smallpox any time soon, but if the Nurse is sticking, and sticking it to Blue Cross, I'll be their pincushion. You just never know where in the world you might end up.