Memphis, TN: Your Gateway to International Travel Health
A complete guide for Memphis-based travelers preparing for international trips — vaccines, regulations, clinics, and expert resources across the Mid-South region and beyond.
Memphis & International Travel Health
Memphis is Tennessee's largest city, a major logistics hub, and a culturally rich community with deep connections to the American South and a growing international presence. The city is home to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — a world leader in pediatric oncology and infectious disease — FedEx's global headquarters, and a growing Latin American and West African community. Memphis residents depart from Memphis International Airport (MEM) and travel worldwide for business, family visits, humanitarian missions, and tourism. The Mid-South's strong faith community also generates significant mission travel to Latin America, Haiti, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Shelby County and the broader Mid-South region offer access to travel health services through private travel clinics, the Shelby County Health Department, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Regional One Health. This guide brings together the essential travel-health information Memphis travelers need before heading overseas.
Healthcare in Memphis for Travelers
Memphis and the surrounding Shelby County region provide solid travel-health infrastructure for residents preparing for international trips. Travelers can access pre-travel consultations, routine immunization review, malaria prescriptions, destination-specific vaccine counseling, and post-travel assessment through private travel vaccine clinics, the Shelby County Health Department, UTHSC infectious disease services, and the Methodist Le Bonheur and Regional One Health networks.
State Health Authority
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) oversees immunization policy statewide, including Tennessee's school hepatitis A requirement. The Shelby County Health Department delivers local public immunization programs and county health services for Memphis residents and the traveling community.
Academic Medicine
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Regional One Health provide infectious disease specialist services for complex travel-related cases and post-travel illness evaluation. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, while primarily oncology-focused, also brings world-class infectious disease expertise to the Memphis medical community.
Private Travel Clinics
Passport Health operates a clinic in Memphis offering yellow fever, typhoid, rabies, hepatitis A/B, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal, and additional travel vaccines with scheduled appointment access for all Shelby County travelers. The Shelby County Health Department also provides yellow fever vaccination services.
Vaccine Regulations in Tennessee
School Entry Requirements
Children in Memphis — including Shelby County Schools and Memphis-Shelby County Schools — must receive required immunizations including DTaP/Tdap, polio, MMR, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and varicella. Tennessee's inclusion of hepatitis A in school requirements gives Memphis children a head start on one of the most important travel vaccines.
Exemptions
Tennessee allows medical and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements. Medical exemptions require documentation from a licensed physician. Religious exemptions require a signed affidavit submitted to the school annually as required by Tennessee state law.
International Travel Rules
Tennessee does not require residents to be vaccinated before leaving the state, but many countries require or strongly recommend specific vaccines. Yellow fever is the most common legally required vaccine for entry to parts of tropical Africa and South America — destinations frequently visited by Memphis's faith-based mission travelers and growing West African and Latino communities.
Routine Vaccines for Children in Memphis
Memphis follows Tennessee's nationally recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules. Tennessee's school hepatitis A requirement provides a stronger routine baseline than many states. For travel medicine, destination-specific planning is still essential — particularly for Memphis families traveling to Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, West Africa, and other frequent mission and VFR destinations from the Mid-South.
| Vaccine | Disease(s) Prevented | Typical Schedule | Notes for Travelers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTaP / Tdap | Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis | 5 childhood doses; adolescent Tdap booster | Important for wound and respiratory protection during international travel |
| Polio (IPV) | Poliomyelitis | 4 doses in childhood | Some travelers to polio-affected areas may need an adult booster before departure |
| MMR | Measles, Mumps, Rubella | 2 doses | Measles remains one of the most important routine vaccines for international travel |
| Varicella | Chickenpox | 2 doses | Important for children and teens without prior disease or vaccination history |
| Hepatitis B | Hepatitis B virus | 3-dose infant/childhood series | Essential baseline protection for travel, especially for longer stays or medical care abroad |
| Hepatitis A | Hepatitis A virus | 2 doses beginning at 12 months | Required for Tennessee school entry — Memphis children are ahead of many U.S. peers on this key travel vaccine |
| Hib | Haemophilus influenzae type b | 3–4 doses | Important routine pediatric protection, especially for younger children |
| PCV | Pneumococcal disease | 4-dose series | Helps reduce severe bacterial disease risk during travel |
| Rotavirus | Severe diarrheal disease | 2–3 doses in infancy | Relevant because diarrheal illnesses remain common in many travel destinations |
| MenACWY | Meningococcal disease A, C, W, Y | 11–12 years; booster at 16 | Required for Hajj/Umrah; important for sub-Saharan Africa; relevant for Memphis mission travelers and growing Muslim community |
| HPV | Human papillomavirus | 2–3 doses beginning age 11–12 | Not travel-specific, but part of complete adolescent preventive care |
| Influenza | Seasonal influenza | Annually | Seasonality differs by region and hemisphere; timing matters for travel |
| COVID-19 | COVID-19 | According to current CDC age guidance | Destination policies can change; verify current rules before departure |
Routine Vaccines for Adults in Memphis
Adult travelers should not assume childhood immunizations remain sufficient for life. Memphis travel clinics review tetanus, influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, shingles, pneumococcal vaccination, and destination-linked concerns. Memphis's strong faith-based mission travel culture — with frequent trips to Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and sub-Saharan Africa — and growing Latino and West African communities make typhoid, hepatitis A, meningococcal, and yellow fever among the most frequently recommended travel vaccines.
Td / Tdap Booster
Adults should stay current with tetanus-containing boosters, generally every 10 years. Travel injuries, trekking, rural exposure, and minor wound care abroad all make this review important.
Every 10 yearsInfluenza
Annual flu vaccination remains a key routine recommendation. Travelers crossing hemispheres or traveling during regional flu season should review timing carefully.
AnnualCOVID-19
COVID-19 vaccination recommendations are updated over time. Memphis travelers should confirm the current CDC age/risk guidance and any destination-specific documentation requirements.
Current guidanceHepatitis A & B
Travel clinics frequently prioritize hepatitis A and B for adults who were never vaccinated or have incomplete records. Especially relevant for travelers visiting Haiti, Honduras, West Africa, and Latin America.
Catch-upMeningococcal
Required for Hajj/Umrah and recommended for travelers to Africa's meningitis belt and certain higher-risk adults. Important for Memphis mission travelers and the growing Muslim community.
Risk-basedPneumococcal & Shingles
Older adults and those with certain conditions may need pneumococcal vaccination and shingles protection. Travel is a good time to update general preventive care.
Age / risk basedThe Three Categories of Travel Vaccines
| Travel Vaccine | Category | Key Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Fever | Required | Tropical Africa, parts of South America | Must be administered by an authorized yellow fever stamp holder; certificate becomes valid after 10 days |
| Typhoid | Recommended | Latin America, Caribbean, Haiti, South Asia, Africa | Available as oral or injectable vaccine; highly recommended for Memphis mission and VFR travelers visiting Haiti, Honduras, and West Africa |
| Japanese Encephalitis | Recommended | Rural Asia and parts of Southeast Asia | More relevant for longer stays, outdoor exposure, and rural travel |
| Rabies (pre-exposure) | Recommended | Asia, Africa, Latin America, Haiti; remote itineraries | Important for animal contact risk and destinations with limited access to urgent post-exposure care |
| Cholera | Recommended | Haiti; selected high-risk destinations | Used selectively; travelers to Haiti on mission or humanitarian work should discuss cholera risk with a travel medicine provider |
| Meningococcal ACWY | Required / Recommended | Saudi Arabia (Hajj/Umrah), Africa's meningitis belt | Legal requirement for some pilgrims and an important risk-based vaccine elsewhere |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended | Latin America, Caribbean, Haiti, Africa, Asia | Already required for Tennessee school entry; adults with incomplete records should catch up before travel |
| Malaria Prophylaxis | Prescription Rx | Haiti, sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, parts of Latin America | Not a vaccine; medication choice depends on region, resistance, duration, and medical history. Haiti is a primary malaria concern for Memphis mission travelers. |
Main Travel Health & Vaccine Centers in Memphis & Shelby County
Memphis / Central
6029 Primacy Pkwy, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 682-8100
Memphis's primary private travel clinic offering yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal, and routine travel vaccine services with itinerary-specific counseling for all Mid-South travelers including mission and humanitarian workers.
877 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 545-7100
Memphis's public academic medical center, affiliated with UTHSC, offering emergency and inpatient care, infectious disease specialist consultations, and evaluation for returned travelers presenting with post-travel illness.
1265 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 516-7000
Major community hospital in midtown Memphis offering comprehensive emergency, inpatient, and specialist services including internal medicine and infectious disease care for returned travelers.
Public Health & Children's Services
814 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 222-9000
Local public health department providing immunization services including yellow fever vaccination and referral guidance for international travelers. An accessible and affordable option for Memphis residents requiring yellow fever certificates and routine immunization review.
848 Adams Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 287-5437
Mid-South's leading children's hospital offering pediatric infectious disease consultations and care for travel-related illness in children and adolescents from Memphis and across the region.
📍 Memphis Travel Health Centers & Major Hospitals
Click any marker to view details and get Google Maps directions. Orange = Travel Health Clinic | Blue = Major Hospital
Pre-Travel Health Checklist for Memphis Travelers
Whether you are flying from Memphis International Airport (MEM) or connecting through a larger hub, this preparation timeline helps ensure you leave with the right protection and paperwork.
| Timeframe | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 6+ Weeks Before | Book a travel medicine consultation | Arrange an appointment with Passport Health Memphis, the Shelby County Health Department, UTHSC/Regional One Health, or another Mid-South provider. Review CDC destination guidance and visa or vaccination rules. |
| At Your Visit | Bring all vaccine records | Review routine immunizations, destination-specific vaccines, malaria prevention, altitude advice, and travel-related prescriptions. Include any international vaccination booklets if you have traveled before. |
| Follow-Up Visits | Complete multi-dose series | Rabies pre-exposure, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A/B catch-up, and some other regimens may need spacing between doses — plan follow-up appointments promptly. |
| 1–2 Weeks Before | Confirm documents and medications | Check that your yellow fever certificate is complete if required, and pack prescriptions, insect repellent, sunscreen, oral rehydration salts, and regular medicines in carry-on luggage. |
| On Return | Monitor symptoms | Fever, rash, diarrhea, jaundice, or unexplained illness after international travel should trigger medical review. Report to Regional One Health, Methodist University Hospital, or your primary care provider. |
Ready to Travel from Memphis?
Start your travel health preparation early. Memphis and Mid-South travel clinics and medical centers can help protect you wherever your itinerary takes you.
This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for personalized travel-health advice. Information should be rechecked before travel because recommendations and entry rules can change.