If you're planning to go overseas, it might not be a bad idea to

visit downtown Fayetteville first.

The Fayette County Health Department has all the information you need

regarding vaccinations for travelers - probably more so than most

other municipalities. That's because Fayette County has such a high

concentration of airline industry employees, military personnel and other

people who just love to travel the world and have the money to do it.

For travel to some parts of the world, certain vaccinations are required.

In other areas, they are recommended. Some of these shots have to be spaced

out at various intervals or require more than one dose.

"Some need more time to generate the antibodies needed to take effect,"

said Cynthia Grant, R.N., the head of the physical health office at the

Fayette County Health Department. A complete list of vaccinations, their

procedures and costs is listed at www.fayettecountyhealthdepartment.org.

Most of the vaccinations are done by appointment, which is recommended

because health experts can get information over the phone and advise patients

on when to come in. This is especially helpful to travelers, because they

might need their shots a month or more ahead of a trip.

Travel vaccines available at the health department include hepatitis A

and B, malaria, measles/rubella, polio, typhoid, yellow fever and mumps.

Costs vary; check the Web site.

Going to the health department for vaccines is usually easier than going

to your doctor's office, and it is usually less expensive. Many doctors,

because they adminster these vaccines far less often, keep less on hand

and sometimes run out, Grant said.

Insurance will sometimes cover vaccines, and the health department prints

out a statement for patients to use in obtaining reimbursements.

In addition to travel vaccines, there are a few that local residents are

recommnded to have on a regular basis just to stay healthy at home. The

most popular one at this time of year is the flu vaccine.

The health department gets extremely busy in the fall, Grant said, as

folks come in for their annual flu shots. After giving about 3,500 flu

vaccines last year at this time, the department ordered 4,000 this year

in preparation for flu season.

With this and any other vaccine, patients are asked in advance about certain

allergies or conditions which might cause them to have a reaction. For

instance, people allergic to eggs are not given a flu vaccine, Grant said.

For more information on vaccines and other services provided by the Fayette

County Health Department, call 770-461-1178 ext. 5416 or visit www.fayettecountyhealthdepartment.org.

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