Travel Vaccinations
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.
If possible, see the GP or a private travel clinic 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.
You can find out which vaccinations are necessary or recommended for the areas you’ll be visiting on these websites:
Find out more about the vaccines available for travellers abroadÂ
Next, you need to complete a travel vaccination questionnaire below, and submit it to us for review.
We will check whether your existing vaccinations are up to date and then contact you to discuss what vaccinations may be needed ahead of your travel.
Not all travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS, even if they’re recommended for travel to a certain area.
The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:
- polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab )
- typhoidÂ
- hepatitis A
- cholera
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.
You’ll have to pay for travel vaccinations against:
- hepatitis BÂ
- Japanese encephalitis
- meningitisÂ
- rabiesÂ
- tick-borne encephalitis
- tuberculosis (TB)Â
- yellow feverÂ
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.
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
Read more about General information for travellers