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This is for anyone out there, like me, who is stressing about travel vaccinations. The crazy cost of them in Australia and wondering what it’s like to get them in Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur specifically. If that’s not you, don’t worry, you can go and read something else like our guide to Kuala Lumpur with kids. We got a whole bunch of travel shots at a private clinic in KL. This post tells you a little about that experience.
Before we left Australia I had a painful appointment with my GP. No needles, just a big financial headache. According to him we should consider every vaccination in the book and it was going to cost us an arm and a leg, each. I went away and wrote a post, The Travel Vaccination Drama, and had a good think about it. I decided we’d get a few travel vaccinations in Bangkok, where it’s a lot cheaper.
Plans change all the time. Three months into our trip we still haven’t been to the Bangkok Travel Clinic. We didn’t spend long in Bangkok at all, accommodation prices drove us away and we headed to lovely Kanchanaburi instead.
We did have some time on our hands in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, so I checked out a clinic there.
Travel Vaccinations in Kuala Lumpur Were Super Easy!
I spotted a clinic in the huge, spangly KLCC shopping mall, it’s the one under The Petronas Towers. I shot them an email about travel vaccinations and appointments. No appointment necessary, just turn up.
So we did, twice. I got myself a tetanus vaccination, I hadn’t had one in years, and all three of us got typhoid vaccinations, I’ve heard typhoid isn’t fun.
The Twin Towers Medical Clinic was the most modern, super efficient, clean and generally awesome medical facility I have ever been to, anywhere in the world. They’re not paying me to say that.
We filled in a form at reception requesting the travel vaccinations we needed, took a ticket and waited for our number to be called. Within minutes we saw the lovely lady doctor and the job was done. Take another ticket, wait for the invoice to be ready, pay and go.
We didn’t get rabies vaccinations at this point. Our decision to get rabies shots came later when we decided they were worth getting for more remote and challenging destinations. We got those in London where we found that a private clinic was actually cheaper than the NHS. The more “exotic” vaccinations aren’t normally free in the Uk but some are.
Were Travel Vaccinations Cheaper in Kuala Lumpur?
It was cheaper than Australia. It’s hard to say based on only 2 vaccinations, but these are the figures I have. Please note that these costs were from quite a few years ago and prices have probably changed.
Typhoid Vaccination in Australia $36.50 (cost of vaccination only from QLD pathology, your doctor will probably charge you extra for sticking the needle in)
Typhoid Vaccination in Malaysia $25 AU (they did charge me a 20 ringgit consultation fee, $6 AU but that was for 3 of us, not each, later in Vietnam, they asked for this fee per person))
Typhoid Vaccination at Bangkok Travel Clinic $10 AU (charges $6 according to their website, checked today)
I don’t have the exact price for a tetanus vaccination in Australia, in Kuala Lumpur it was $25 AU. A friend told me she paid $65 recently, but that’s 2nd hand information, prices vary along with how much your GP thinks he should be paid.
That’s all I wanted to say really, how great the clinic was and how incredibly easy getting travel vaccinations in Kuala Lumpur turned out to be. Happy travels! I’m never going to give medical advice, just explain how we managed to figure out which vaccinations we thought we needed, and where. I’m happy to report that none of us ever caught anything too nasty, in fact, we’re pretty healthy travellers.
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polio vaccination
Hi Alyson, thanks for writing this post – very helpful! I’m just wondering if you would mind sharing the email address that you used? I realise it was a while ago, so it may be out dated, but I figure I’ll give it a crack. I went on their website and couldn’t find an email contact, but I’d like to get in touch with them and confirm if they are able to offer what my partner and I will need.
Loving reading your posts – you’ve visited many of the places that we’ll be heading. We take off from Melbourne in a few weeks, with no return date woohoo!
Thank you!
Just Google Twin Towers Medical Centre Contact – I don’t know if this is the same email address we used, but its easy to find.
can anybody guide me, which medical clinic in kuala lumpur provides an IPV for travel? it’s urgent.
What’s IPV?
It’s a vaccine called “Inactivated Polio Virus”.
No idea sorry. We got ours in the UK.
Try in medical center KL, good, clean and fast service
Thanks very much for this advice! I’ve just been in for tetanus and typhoid shots – service was very efficient and about 1/3 the price of what I’d pay in New Zealand. Would certainly recommend to those needing immunisations before heading to into the more intrepid parts of Asia.
Hello!!
Thank you so much for your information!
I’m in Kuala Lumpur just now. I’m going to India tomorrow, and I don’t have the typhoid vaccination.
I went this afternoon to medical center in KL asking for typhoid tablets (one fríend told me in Spain give in tablets). In the Medical center told is an injection, and I was afraid, I’m in my first trip alone, not my first trip, but I was confused… I didn’t know what to do and I decided not receive the injection.
After read your post, I’m more confident… I’ll go tomorrow morning for the typhoid vaccination. Did you have a secondary effects?
I really appreciate you, thanks to explain yours experiences everywhere.
Maybe a sore arm? I’ve never heard of Typhoid tablets and I worked in pathology and received regular vaccinations against all this stuff for 20 years.
Jajaja!!
Yes, it is, my arm is getting sore, but no more.
The service was very well, and quick.
Thank you so much Alyson and family
No problem, enjoy India! ( Have you found our India section ?)
VIVOTIF is the tablets for typhoid. My friend told me, from her travel medicine visit in Spain, last week.
I’ve just let you know, if it works for you.
Thanks,
( my arm is getting better :))
I Googled, seems legit. No problem with needles here but that’s great for people who don’t like injections.
I will be traveling to KL in this year with my sons what vacs are suggested, we will be there a week, my youngest son is Type 1 Diabetic. They boys are teens and have had vacs through school here in Australia all are up to date. I have never been been vacs. Thinking Flu and Tet, hate needles
Don’t see why you’d need flu if you don’t normally have flu jabs and everyone’s tetanus should always be kept up to date. But I can’t advise on vaccinations, it’s personal choice and if you question what the doctor wants to sell you, do plenty of research and be sure of your decision. I’ve never had a flu jab in my life, none of us have, if that helps. BUT we did all go down with flu ( real flu, not a cold) that we picked up at Legoland Malaysia after being around thousands of coughing sneezing kids. Purely coincidence, nothing to do with what country we were in, could have been anywhere that crowds gather. KL is a big modern city, very western, more western than the UK in many ways.
Thanks, I could not remember last time i had tetanus jab so thinking that would be a good idea, and dont normally get flu jab, just a friend suggested might be worth it, I have read lots of different advice from both GPs and general travellers . I am thinking tetanus should be enough
We just checked the prices there for rabies in this Hospital, 111€ for just one injection. In Germany we would pay only 80€, sad…
You’re lucky Germany is so cheap! You should see Australian prices 😉
Hi,
Thank you for this post – really helpful. Travel doc in Oz recommended that we also get vaccinated for rabies… just wondering if you came across this… )apparently its Everywhere and kids love patting monkeys and dogs!)
many thanks
Kate
They would, they make a fortune out of vaccinations! In the UK it’s not recommended ( checked with our practice nurse in London). The Australian doctor we saw told us ( as he had to) that it was suggested, but he refused to recommend or not recommend anything. Another doctor we saw in Australia told us not to worry and don’t get anything for 2 weeks in Thailand ( I agree with her). We’ve never had rabies jabs. None of us. Not for India, not for anywhere. That’s not to say that I don’t wish we had, we just never have time for the full course. Most people we meet travelling, likewise, don’t seem to get them. Read up on them though, be aware that they do NOT give you immunity, just a few extra days to find a reduced level of post-bite treatment. I think teaching your kids to stay away from dogs and in particular, monkeys, they can be evil, is a better idea. But if you want to pay for the extra injections and they would give you increased peace of mind, go for it. And it’s not everywhere, I’ve never seen a rabid dog. Most countries have cases, yes, I think only the UK and Australia are exempt from that, but we don’t all rush out to get rabies vaccinations. If I was going to be working with street dogs, I’d consider it. And seriously, stay away from monkeys! There are so many bites, particularly in Bali’s Monkey Forest.
I’m an American in Malaysia. I’m in Lumut Perak. I’m wondering if I can get Malaria tablets somewhere? I’m also wondering about the price. I’ll be going to Lombok Indonesia and Hong Kong in the next three months. Also, where can I find mosquito netting for possible camping on Lamma Island Hong Kong? Please help if you know.
Sorry Kay, don’t know.
Thanks – this was very helpful! (I’m also looking for the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine, which is about $400 CDN per person x 4 of us….can you believe it?!)
Yes!
Hi thanks for post. We visited the travel clinic in BK & got ours but have now changed our journey & will pop into KL to check. Dawn
Hi Alyson!
Great post! My family is moving to Kuala Lumpur next month and I just paid $750 US for the typhoid vaccination!! The clinic told me we needed the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination and that it would cost $700 per person!! So of course I didn’t get it. Did you all receive the Jap Encephalitis vaccine? I am so confused whether or not to get it. We will be living and traveling around SE Asia for a year. Did the clinic in KL tell you the prices for that vaccine? Thanks for you help!!
Gina that’s terrible!! I was at my doctor’s here in the UK just last week talking about this as we’re going to India and/or Africa next year. In the UK Japanese Encephalitis is NOT EVEN RECOMMENDED. Neither is Cholera, unless you’re an aid worker or farming or going to a disaster area. We’ve never had it and won’t be getting it. All we I needed was a Hep A booster and the kids had Hep A for the first time, they never had it for SE Asia. It’s all about money.
Wow, thanks for the great post. Travel vacs are pricey in Canada, so we were looking for an alternative. We’d intended to go to the BKK clinic too, it’s really great to know there is an option in KL. For reference, the typhoid vaccine in Canada costs $50: http://ow.ly/ohcPj
Thanks Tam, it’s nice to be useful, I thought somebody out there would like to know if they can easily get travel vaccinations in Kuala Lumpur, or Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the first stop for many travellers these days because it’s the Air Asia hub. Why oh why are travel vaccinations so expensive in our home countries???