The travel-vaccination and preventive-care service of RAB Arztbesuche is a private-physician home-visit service that brings travel vaccinations, travel-medicine advice and preventive check-ups to your home, office or hotel anywhere in Hamburg, daily from 6 a.m. to midnight and typically within 60 to 90 minutes. As an international port and airport city, home to the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg has long been a hub for long-haul travel, and because many travellers put off vaccine planning in the rush of everyday life, RAB Hamburg brings preventive care to you.
Why Travel Vaccinations Are Important
Many countries require certain vaccinations as an entry condition, for example yellow fever in several countries in Africa and South America. Other vaccinations are strongly recommended to prevent diseases that are rare in Germany, for example typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies or Japanese encephalitis. Without adequate protection, travellers risk severe illness, long-term health damage or even life-threatening complications. A vaccination plan should therefore be created well in advance of travel, as some vaccinations require several doses or a lead time of several weeks before immunity is fully established.
What Preventive Care Services Does RAB Hamburg Offer?
RAB Hamburg offers a comprehensive vaccination and preventive-care programme tailored individually to your travel destination and health status:
- Consultation on mandatory and travel vaccinations: Physicians review your vaccination record, advise on necessary and optional vaccinations and create an individual vaccination plan.
- Administration of all common vaccinations: From yellow fever to hepatitis, typhoid and rabies, our physicians bring the vaccines and administer them professionally.
- Malaria prophylaxis: Consultation on necessary medications and dosage depending on your travel destination.
- Pre-travel health check: General health status, blood pressure, laboratory values or ECG to ensure you are fit for travel.
- Vaccination certificates: Issuance of the international vaccination certificates required for entry into certain countries.
RAB Hamburg works according to the recommendations of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Robert Koch Institute, draws on the tropical-medicine expertise of the Bernhard Nocht Institute and adheres to international vaccination standards.
Service Process, from Booking to Vaccination
The process is straightforward as usual:
- Pre-registration: You contact RAB Hamburg by phone or online and indicate where you are travelling and what questions you have.
- Pre-consultation: A physician calls you back, asks about pre-existing conditions and existing vaccinations and clarifies which vaccines are needed.
- Appointment at your location: Within 60 to 90 minutes or at your scheduled time, the physician comes to you.
- Vaccination and consultation: Alongside the vaccination you receive information on precautions at your destination, such as insect protection, drinking-water hygiene and sun protection.
- Follow-up care: Some vaccinations can cause mild side effects. The physicians explain what to watch out for and remain available for any questions.
Afterwards you receive all documentation, vaccination certificates and a cost statement. Billing is according to the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ), and many private health insurers cover the cost of travel vaccinations in full or in part.
Advantages of a Private Medical Vaccination Service
- Time savings: You do not need to search for a practice appointment or plan around waiting times.
- Flexibility: Vaccinations can be administered in the evenings or at weekends, daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.
- Comfort and safety: You are vaccinated at home or in your office without exposing yourself to crowded waiting rooms.
- Individual consultation: A physician takes time for your personal needs and ensures you are optimally prepared.
- International expertise: Our physicians are familiar with the guidelines and requirements of the respective travel countries.
Conclusion
Travel vaccinations and preventive care are an important cornerstone of a safe and healthy journey. RAB Hamburg simplifies this preventive care by bringing the service to you. This way you save time, receive individual consultation and start your holiday or business trip well prepared, anywhere in Hamburg.
If you need a travel vaccination or preventive examination in Hamburg, you can reach RAB Hamburg daily from 6 a.m. to midnight at 040 524 729 688 or book your appointment directly online. RAB Hamburg physicians typically arrive at your home within 60 to 90 minutes.
Vaccination Overview: Lead Times and Doses of the Most Important Travel Vaccinations
The following overview shows, for the most common travel vaccinations, how many doses are needed and how much lead time you should allow before departure. The figures follow the recommendations of STIKO and the Robert Koch Institute; the individual vaccination plan is drawn up by the physician at the appointment.
| Vaccination | Doses | Recommended lead time | Typical destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow fever | 1 | at least 10 days | Sub-Saharan Africa, South America |
| Hepatitis A | 1 (+ booster after 6–12 months) | 2 weeks | worldwide where hygiene standards are basic |
| Hepatitis B | 3 | 6 weeks (accelerated schedule possible) | long-term stays worldwide |
| Typhoid | 1 | 2 weeks | South Asia, Africa, Latin America |
| Rabies | 2–3 | 3–4 weeks | Asia, Africa, backpacking and animal contact |
| Japanese encephalitis | 2 | 4 weeks | South and Southeast Asia, rural regions |
| Meningococcal ACWY | 1 | 2 weeks | Sahel zone, mandatory for Hajj and Umrah |
| TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) | 2–3 | 4–6 weeks (accelerated schedule possible) | Central and Eastern Europe, including southern Germany |
For combined itineraries or imminent departures, several vaccinations can be given at one appointment; the medical pre-consultation clarifies what can still take effect in time. Malaria cannot be prevented by vaccination; here the physicians advise on chemoprophylaxis or standby medication depending on destination and season. Standard vaccinations such as tetanus, diphtheria and polio are also checked at the appointment and boosted if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When should I start planning my vaccinations?
Ideally you should start planning your vaccinations at least six to eight weeks before departure. Several travel vaccinations, for example hepatitis B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis or tick-borne encephalitis, require a schedule of two or three single doses several weeks apart before full protection is built up. Even after single-shot vaccinations such as yellow fever or typhoid, it takes one to two weeks for the immune system to build sufficient antibodies. Travellers with an infant, a pregnant companion or chronic illnesses should plan up to three months in advance, since individual counselling and possibly coordination with specialists is required. At very short notice it is often still possible to establish meaningful basic protection. We work through your itinerary with you and decide which vaccinations can still take effect before departure and which may have to be continued on site.
Which vaccinations are mandatory?
Which vaccinations are mandatory depends on the destination country, the duration of your stay and sometimes also on your route of arrival. The best-known mandatory vaccination is yellow fever, required by many tropical countries in Africa and South America either for direct entry or after transit through a yellow-fever risk area. Saudi Arabia requires a meningococcal ACWY vaccination for pilgrims during Hajj and Umrah. Some countries require recent polio boosters, others check the immunisation status of foreign children when enrolling in schools. Alongside these there are numerous strongly recommended but not strictly required vaccinations, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, cholera, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal disease or tick-borne encephalitis. RAB Hamburg advises you individually based on your itinerary, planned activities and personal immunisation status, drawing on current recommendations from STIKO, the Federal Foreign Office and the CRM, and issues the internationally recognised WHO vaccination certificate.
Will my insurance cover the costs?
Many private health insurers cover the costs of travel vaccinations, travel-medicine consultations and related medication in full or in part, depending on your individual tariff. A growing number of statutory health insurance funds also reimburse travel vaccinations as a voluntary additional service (Satzungsleistung), often including the medical consultation. We recommend a brief enquiry with your insurer before the appointment to clarify which vaccinations, vaccines and consultations are reimbursable and whether a written cost estimate is required. In the case of professional assignments abroad, the employer often covers the full costs, as is frequently true for study trips or research stays. RAB Hamburg always provides a detailed invoice according to the German official scale of medical fees (GOÄ) and a separate breakdown of the vaccine costs, both of which you can easily submit to your insurer or employer. On request all documents can be issued in English.
Are travel vaccinations safe?
Yes. RAB Hamburg exclusively uses vaccines approved in Germany and the European Union, which have passed strict quality and safety reviews and are continuously monitored by the Paul Ehrlich Institute. Before every vaccination you receive a thorough medical explanation of the mechanism of action, possible side effects, interactions with other medications and alternatives, so that you can make an informed decision. Typical reactions such as brief pain or mild redness at the injection site, light fatigue, headache or low-grade fever are harmless and usually subside within one to two days. Serious side effects are extremely rare and are carefully documented with every administration. Pre-existing allergies, chronic conditions, pregnancy, breastfeeding and immunosuppression are specifically asked about before vaccination and factored into the consultation. You then receive an updated international vaccination booklet listing all relevant entries for your future records.
Can I get a vaccination on short notice?
Yes. RAB Hamburg also offers short-notice travel-vaccination appointments, whether as part of a planned home visit or as part of a broader travel-medicine consultation. If your departure is imminent, we work through your situation together and decide which vaccinations can still take effect in time, which may have to be started in parallel and continued on site, and which additional protective measures such as malaria prophylaxis, insect protection and food and drinking-water hygiene make sense in your case. We nevertheless generally recommend allowing at least two weeks lead time, so that the immune system has enough time to build sufficient protection. For pure booster vaccinations such as tetanus, diphtheria or polio, protection is restored within a few days. Through our booking system, appointments are often available within 24 to 72 hours.