Travelers Immunization Center

(Dec 2015) The staff is friendly and it’s easy to make an appointment. I wasn’t able to get the shot because I had a little fever. Since yellow fever is not covered by my insurance cost would be $ 190

I had a problem with my insurance because although it would pay for a shingles vaccine, it would only pay for it from a medical provider, not a pharmacy. And my primary care doctor doesn’t handle the vaccine, which is expensive and perishable. So I called these folks, and they were able to do it, and I could get it reimbursed. This is a resource for people in the same situation.

I called 3 different times to set up an appointment and was only able to leave a voicemail. No one ever called me back. I found excellent help elsewhere.

(Visited 11÷25÷13 M @ 9:30pm): Have shots… will travel!
I looked to my health insurance for a yellow fever vaccination I needed for my upcoming Amazon cruise, but instead they referred me to Travelers Immunization Center. The name of the place made sense. Here was how the vaccination process went down:
Travelers Consult ($ 60.00 — not covered by my insurance) — Honestly, I didn’t know this was required nor felt it should’ve been a paid service because all the information given was stuff I already knew/​had while I did my own research. Plus, I worked in the travel industry! A good service for the uninitiated or those who didn’t do any research on their own (always a bad idea), this service was merely to confirm and reassure what I already knew. I’d decline this service if you could.
Yellow Fever Immunization ($ 165.00 — not covered by my insurance) — A simple vaccination that required a shot into the arm. As of this review, the point of entry would itch at times but nothing else. Yellow fever is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites, and in most cases only causes a mild infection with fever, headache, chills, back pains, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting which lasted between three to four days.
Anti-​Malaria Pills aka «Malarone» ($ 10.00 — insurance at Costco) — Taken with food, use would begin two days before you entered the exposed area (the Amazon in my case), then once a day until prescription is done. Known side effect was dizziness.
Dysentery Pills aka «Zithromax» ($ 7.91 — insurance at Costco) — Basically an antibiotic, this should be taken with food, use would begin if you started to feel ill due to bacteria until prescription is done. Known side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pains.
Service — I was greeted immediately by a friendly young woman at the reception counter who proceeded to hand me a simple form to fill out. After I returned the form, roughly ten minutes later I was led to an observation room by a nice male assistant. Some time past before a kind female nurse named Kenya Henderson saw me and discussed which shots and prescriptions I needed, while we had very informal friendly conversation. About twenty minutes later, the consult was done, the same assistant showed up soon after and administered the necessary shot. I paid my bill at the reception counter, given all the needed paperwork (the yellow form), and off I went. Total time was just over one hour; pretty standard.
Parking ($ 3.00) — A minuscule 5 – 6 car double-​parked private lot in the back so don’t even bother. However, plenty of metered 2-​hour limit street parking ($ 1.50/hour x 2) along the main drag of Ventura Blvd. as well as most nearby side streets. There was also free street parking behind the building on an alley-​like road EXCEPT on Mondays (10am-​12pm?), so I was assed-​out on this day.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — The front certainly didn’t look like a medical office although the name on the awning (Kapoor Medical Centre) said differently albeit not the name I was looking for. Once inside it was rather colorful and calming with its mint green painted walls, the waiting area was quaint and homey with its dark wooden living room-​style chairs and love couch. There were framed pictures hung throughout. Bright natural light shown through the front windows coupled with plenty of electric lighting. The observation rooms — and there were many as you walked by them — were simple, small, functional, and like any other you’d see in a medical office. I didn’t recall any TVs or background music. Apparently, this place went through a massive renovation during the past year.
Attire — Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops.
Overall, now that I’m aware of Travelers Immunization Center, I had a point of reference for future travel needs. It’s nice to know such a service was available relatively close to home, and if needed possible same-​day appointments. Their hours are M-​TH 9am-​5pm (I think). However, I suggested better outdoor signage for better visibility. I appreciated their friendly and professional associates. I found good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total bill was around $ 248.00; no tip required), but I truly felt the cost for the consult and shot were excessive, which was where the stars took the brunt of the hit. And, they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX! 3.5 STARS

Clean office. They were able to get me in on the same day I called to get my typhoid shot. They do make you pay upfront and let you deal with the insurance company which is pretty annoying.

To followup, I submitted a claim to my insurance. My insurance says they never received a reply from the Travelers Immunization Center, so the claim was automatically denied and I am stuck with the $ 265 bill. Normally insurance covers this.