Passport Health North York Travel Clinic

Charge double drug costs on top of consult/ visit fees. Ask for cost per drug before agreeing to anything and shop around, a quick Google search will show you are going to be charged sometimes $100 more than other travel clinics in the city (ex. Yellow fever). Not even generous insurance coverage will cover their outlandish mark ups. Buyer beware

Doing some traveling to more exotic destinations for the first time in a while so I was looking into what I needed and booked with Passport Health. It was easy to book, easy to park at, easy to find, they were ready for me at the time of my appointment, they were prepared (because I'd filled out most of my history ahead of time), they could answer the questions I had, they didn't pressure me to buy vaccines I didn't need/want, and they were transparent about what my doctor could look into and bill back to OHIP and what wasn't covered by OHIP. I would recommend checking in with them, if, like me, you wanted to get something you didn't think your doctor would have on hand.

This travel clinic did not have standard travel vaccines available such as the one for Typhoid Fever. I see little point in a travel clinic that doesn’t have the necessities to prepare patients/clients for travel, that is entirely the purpose of paying a premium for this service. Especially with an online booking system, patients should know before arriving that the vaccines they need are not available, not after they’ve agreed to an $80 fee for services unavailable. I will definitely be sure to get to my doctor further in advance and would not recommend this clinic. The nurse that saw me was pleasant and knowledgeable, so I don’t direct any of this at her. She’s the reason for 2 stars.

I don’t typically leave reviews but I had a particularly bad experience at this clinic so wanted to warn others. I came here yesterday to get shots for an upcoming trip to Africa. After spending $750 (wildly expensive…) and getting 3 vaccines, I was called back into the office because she said she gave me the yellow fever vaccine in the wrong area of the arm and needs to redo it. She told me her manager approved it and that there are no overdose risks for YF. I asked her one or two questions after which she proceeded to tell me she would re-administer the MENINGITIS vaccine. I then completely lost confidence and reminded her that only 2 minutes prior she had told me she had to redo the YELLOW FEVER vaccine. She reassured me she just said the wrong one… she then called her manager to confirm it is meningitis she has to give me a second time… at which point her manager tells her IT IS BOTH VACCINES SHE NEEDS TO REDO?!?! So each time one of them spoke the instruction changed… so she ended up giving me both vaccines again. She did not explain any side effects or confirm there are none for a second dose of meningitis… I had to ask about this to confirm. I also vividly remember the first time she gave me YF it was behind the arm… and when she gave it tor the second time it was also behind the arm… I told her this and she confirmed behind the arm is the correct way. So after 5 vaccines I was left so appalled and disappointed. I have zero confidence thst these were given the correct way the second time so I guess I have to hope for the best. I also don’t know how it makes sense that I got the YF vaccine twice in the same area of the arm? I really strongly advise passport health to have a manager on site or at least a more experienced nurse… I don’t know why they would leave someone so inexperienced in charge of the office. 6 years ago I did a big trip and went to the downtown location and had an excellent experience. I will be avoiding the North York location at all costs.

I only wish I had read the other reviews about this clinic before I went. I am travelling out of country and went thinking I would meet a doctor. So first it’s not a doctor its a nurse. Although he was very polite and knowledgeable I felt rushed to make a decision. I was actually so flustered I ended up stopping the consultation to call my husband. Second - he told me no vaccines are required all are optional and then rushed me through a long list of things I could take and right away I was supposed to answer yes or no as to whether I was choosing to take the vaccine or not to. And then I stopped him to ask how much the vaccines cost and I was shocked to hear how expensive. And then I said will these costs be covered by my private insurance - he did not answer but after further discussion he said he can sell me the vaccines. But he cannot give me a prescription for the vaccines. So I asked my husband if he thought our private would reimburse us for the cost of the vaccine without a script and my husband was not sure. So I asked if I could try to ask for the same vaccines from my family doctor. He told me that the doctor would write the script and I would have to go get the medicine and bring it to the doctor. I said while that may be true my insurance is more likely to reimburse me if it comes from a doctor. Then he said well if I do come back at a later date and decide to have the vaccine from him then I would be charged an additional $25 per person for the second visit. I felt overwhelmed and rushed. I basically I felt like I was a being pressured to make a decision on how much I wanted to spend to keep my family safe. This is in direct contrast to my previous experience at a different clinic wheee the doctor reassured me - gave me what I needed - paid a nominal amount and had certificates to match. Instead this experience felt more like I was shopping for drugs. In the end I paid him $108 for his consultation and left feeling upset and angry that I had wasted time and money and not accomplished anything. I do not recommend this clinic to anyone. Please share with others

Great first experience at Passport Health North York. I had booked a spontaneous last minute trip and could not get in to see my family doctor before my departure. I was able to quickly and easily book an appointment with Passport Health. My nurse Christine was very professional and polite. She provided me with a great deal of information and advice for which immunizations I needed before my trip. The booklet and immunization card she gave to me was also helpful. I received my shot and also an antibiotic (in case of emergency). All together my appointment lasted approx. 30 mins - which worked perfectly for my 1 hour lunch hour. Very satisfied with my experience at Passport Health, thank you.

The person we dealt with was not knowledgable. They did not have the up to date health information that I input into their system. Very cookie cutter. I did not feel confident in the advice given. Very different from my last experience with Passport health three years ago. Based on this appointment, I would definitely not go back

Very professional experience, the nurse was friendly and took time to explain the vaccination procedures.

Incredibly efficient appointment! Walked away with a big booklet of all the things that I needed to know. The staff there make sure to give you all the info possible. The decor made me that much more excited about my trip. Thank goodness there’s a location north of the city, very easy to get to with free parking!

(keep reading, in the end it was a positive experience)--It took a while to get into a clinic--my first appt was cancelled by the clinic which had to close down for 24 hrs, and then I couldn't get another appointment for a week which left a smaller window between the appt and my travel. While it is easy to book online, the cancelling and changing of appts was difficult reaching someone by phone and then the confirmation email didn't come until a few days later. When I did get an appointment, at first I felt like the consultation I had was a cookie-cutter approach to health--a list of recommendations based on my travel destination plus whatever other vaccines i needed to update. they were ready to give me multiple vaccines at the same time if they could. i understand this is a for-profit business (as is the vaccine industry) but at the North York location, I appreciated that I had the time to reflect on the recommendations to make a decision that is right for me, I wasn't pressured, and the consultant was cautious enough to check with the nurse, who checked with the doctor, on any counter-effects based on my health history. In the end, I felt happy about the decisions I made and feel prepared for my trip.