You don’t always need vaccinations to travel abroad. If you do, the type of travel jabs you need depends on which country you’re visiting and what you’re doing.
You can find out which vaccinations are necessary or recommended for the areas you’ll be visiting on these websites:
Your GP or practice nurse can give you a booster of your UK jabs if you need one. They may be able to give you the travel jabs you need, either free on the NHS or for a charge.
Aylestone Health Centre can give you any missing doses of your UK vaccines such as MMR if you need them but not all other travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS, even if they’re recommended for travel to a certain area.
At Aylestone Health Centre we provide the following vaccines FREE for travel purposes:
- Polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio vaccine)
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis A
- Cholera
We do NOT provide the following vaccines and you will need to go a private travel vaccination provider for:
- Hepatitis B
- Japanese encephalitis
- Meningitis
- Rabies
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tick-borne encephalitis
- Yellow Fever
Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres. The NaTHNaC website can help you find where to get a yellow fever vaccination.
The cost of travel vaccines at private clinics will vary, but could be around £50 for each dose of a vaccine. Therefore, if a vaccine requires three doses, the total cost could be around £150. It’s worth considering this when budgeting for your trip.
Alternatively, you can visit a local private travel vaccination clinic for your UK boosters and other travel jabs.
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.
Things to consider
There are several things to consider when planning your travel vaccinations, including:
- the country or countries you are visiting – some diseases are more common in certain parts of the world and less common in others
- when you are travelling – some diseases are more common at certain times of the year, for example during the rainy season
- where you are staying – in general, you will be more at risk of disease in rural areas than in urban areas, and if you are backpacking and staying in hostels or camping, you may be more at risk than if you were on a package holiday and staying in a hotel
- how long you will be staying – the longer your stay, the greater your risk of being exposed to diseases
- your age and health – some people may be more vulnerable to infection than others, while some vaccinations cannot be given to people with certain medical conditions
- what you will be doing during your stay – for example, whether you will be spending a lot of time outdoors, such as trekking or working in rural areas
- if you are working as an aid worker – you may come into contact with more diseases if you are working in a refugee camp or helping after a natural disaster
- if you are working in a medical setting – for example, a doctor or nurse may require additional vaccinations
- if you are in contact with animals – in this case, you may be more at risk of getting diseases that are spread by animals, such as rabies
If you are only travelling to countries in northern and central Europe, North America or Australia, it is unlikely that you will need to have any vaccinations.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Speak to your GP before having any vaccinations if:
- you are pregnant
- you think you might be pregnant
- you are breastfeeding
In many cases, it is unlikely that a vaccine given while pregnant or breastfeeding will cause problems for the baby. However, your 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 are 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 that you need, it’s also a good opportunity to make sure your other vaccinations are up-to-date and have booster jabs if necessary.
Your GP surgery can check your existing vaccination records.
People in certain risk groups may be offered extra vaccines. These include vaccinations against diseases such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis (TB), flu and chickenpox.
Read more information on NHS vaccines for adults and children to find out whether you should have any.
If you would like to book an appointment to receive any of the travel vaccinations that we do provide, please contact the Reception Team on 0116 2837825 who will send you a form to complete telling us about your intended travel and then book an appointment with the Practice Nurse. It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible – at least 10 weeks before you travel. Vaccines have to be ordered if they are not in stock which means you will need to make another appointment to have the vaccinations.
Further Travel Resources
The NHS Website – Cover you healthcare abroad
European Health Insurance Card (formerly E111)
The NHS Website – Travel vaccinations
GOV.UK Foreign Travel Advice – A-Z of countries