Travel Health
If you're planning to travel outside the UK, you may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world.
Vaccinations are available to protect you against infections such as yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis A.
In the UK, the NHS routine immunisation (vaccination) schedule protects you against a number of diseases, but does not cover all of the infectious diseases found overseas.
When should I start thinking about the vaccines I need?
If possible, please approach us at least 6 to 8 weeks before you're due to travel. Some vaccines need to be given well in advance to allow your body to develop immunity and some vaccines involve a number of doses spread over several weeks or months.
You may be more at risk of some diseases, for example, if you're:
- travelling in rural areas
- backpacking
- staying in hostels or camping
- on a long trip rather than a package holiday
If you have a pre-existing health problem, this may make you more at risk of infection or complications from a travel-related illness.
What happens if I am travelling at the last minute?
The earlier you tell us, the better. You should aim to provide 12 weeks' notice if possible. This allows us to:
- Assess your needs
- Purchase your vaccine(s) and have this delivered to the practice
- Arrange for you to receive the vaccines
- Allow the vaccines to take effect
We will always try to assist patients travelling at short notice but we ask patients to provide as much notice as possible. We may not always be able to provide travel vaccines at short notice due to vaccine stocks and availability of travel health appointments, and you may be advised to visit a pharmacist or private travel clinic.
Which travel vaccines do I need?
You can find out which vaccinations are necessary or recommended for the areas you'll be visiting on the Travel Health Pro website.
Some countries require proof of vaccination (for example, for polio or yellow fever vaccination), which must be documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before you enter or when you leave a country.
Saudi Arabia requires proof of vaccination against certain types of Meningitis for visitors arriving for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
Even if an ICVP is not required, it's still a good idea to take a record of the vaccinations you have had with you.
How do I get my travel vaccines?
First, you must complete this form online here. If you complete this on our website, submission of the form to us will be automatic. If you don’t have digital access or struggle with online forms, you can ask one of our Care Navigators to give you a printed form for you to complete and return to us.
We will provide advice about travel vaccinations and travel health, such as protecting yourself from malaria.
We will also give you any missing doses of your UK vaccines if you need them.
Not all travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS, even if they're recommended for travel to a certain area.
Which travel vaccines are free?
The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:
These vaccines are free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.
If the travel vaccines you need but are not available on the NHS we will provide written information on what vaccines are needed from
- private travel vaccination clinics
- pharmacies offering travel healthcare services
Which travel vaccines will I have to pay for?
You'll have to pay for travel vaccinations against:
Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres.
The cost of travel vaccines that are not available on the NHS will vary, depending on the vaccine and number of doses you need.
It's worth considering this when budgeting for your trip.
Other things to consider
There are other things to consider when planning your travel vaccinations, including:
- your age and health – you may be more vulnerable to infection than others; some vaccines cannot be given to people with certain medical conditions
- working as an aid worker – you may come into contact with more diseases in a refugee camp or helping after a natural disaster
- working in a medical setting – a doctor, nurse or another healthcare worker may require additional vaccinations
- contact with animals – you may be more at risk of getting diseases spread by animals, such as rabies
If you're only travelling to countries in northern and central Europe, North America or Australia, you're unlikely to need any vaccinations.
But it's important to check that you're up-to-date with routine vaccinations available on the NHS.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Speak to a GP before having any vaccinations if:
- you're pregnant
- you think you might be pregnant
- you're breastfeeding
In many cases, it's unlikely a vaccine given while you're pregnant or breastfeeding will cause problems for the baby.
But the GP will be able to give you further advice about this.
People with immune deficiencies
For some people travelling overseas, vaccination against certain diseases may not be advised.
This may be the case if:
- you have a condition that affects your body's immune system, such as HIV or AIDS.
- you're receiving treatment that affects your immune system, such as chemotherapy
- you have recently had a bone marrow or organ transplant
Non-travel vaccines
As well as getting any travel vaccinations you need, it's also a good opportunity to make sure your other vaccinations are up-to-date and have booster vaccines if necessary.
Although many routine NHS vaccinations are given during childhood, you can have some of them (such as the MMR vaccine) as an adult if you missed getting vaccinated as a child.
There are also some extra NHS vaccinations for people at higher risk of certain illnesses, such as the flu vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine and the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis (TB).
Find out about NHS vaccinations and when to have them