• Vanderbilt University requires all students participating in international educational activities that are facilitated, sponsored, endorsed, or administered by the University to carry Vanderbilt’s international health insurance.
• Students studying abroad through the Global Education Office will be automatically enrolled and do not need to take any action.
• Vanderbilt’s international health insurance plan is offered by GeoBlue and is more comprehensive than most plans.
• Details about the plan and how to purchase using the Vanderbilt discount code can be found on the Vanderbilt Global Health & Safety webpage.
• You must have coverage for the entire duration of your time abroad.
• This may mean purchasing an additional week or month of insurance, even if you’ll only be overseas for one day.
• If you need to use the insurance and have any questions, please call the Vanderbilt’s Incident Response for Travel at +1 615-322-2745. Let them know that you are traveling abroad and need to speak with the Global Safety Office. They will help you navigate using insurance abroad.

• Visit a travel health clinic at least 3 to 6 months before departing for information about immunizations and other health concerns for your area of travel.
  • Some countries require proof of immunizations, so keep the yellow immunization card from the travel clinic with your passport. Many vaccinations either require a few weeks or a series of shots to develop protective immunity. Preparing for a travel consultation in advance will allow your visit to be more efficient and productive.
  • The Vanderbilt Student Health Center* provides travel health consultations/appointments to students planning to travel. Vaccination and visa costs are not covered by most university programs and students should plan to pay for these costs. However, at your travel appointment at the Student Health Center, be sure to mention that you are getting required vaccines as part of a Vanderbilt course/program. We have heard that students are not charged for vaccines when they are part of a course/program.
  • Students receiving departmental support should check with their training grant administrator to see if vaccinations are included.
• The CDC provides useful travel health information, including
  • Country-specific travel health notices
  • COVID-19 travel recommendations and updates
  • Recommendations for taking malaria prophylaxis 
  • Other helpful information on the CDC traveler advice webpage
• If you take medications, pack enough to last the duration of your travel, plus extra in the event of delayed travel. You may not be able to purchase the same medications abroad. Be sure to include the prescription if you have one in case you are questioned about the medications.

*You do not need to go to Brentwood to the VUMC travel clinic – you can have your travel consultation and receive your vaccinations at the Student Health Center on campus.