Our Practice Nurses run a Travel Clinic at the surgery for all our NHS patients which offers a variety of travel advice and vaccinations.

If you are travelling abroad we recommend you book an appointment with the nurse to discuss your itinerary as you may require vaccination and/or tablets for malaria. It is best to see the nurse at least one month before your trip and for long term travel (more than 3 months away) and complex itineraries it is recommended that you seek advice at least 6 weeks before you intend to travel. If you have had travel vaccines at a previous clinic please bring a copy of your vaccine record to your appointment.

Please note that you must have been registered at the surgery for at least 3 months before you can obtain any travel vaccinations free on the NHS. All private patients must access alternative private travel services.

Vaccinations available include:

Malaria

Malaria prevention is required for travel to some countries. It is taken in tablet form and there are a range of tablets available which the nurse can discuss with you at your appointment. Tablets will be given as a private prescription which will be charged at the pharmacy.

For all malarial regions it is recommended to use a special mosquito repellant containing 50% DEET. This can be purchased at the pharmacy over the counter and is safe to use from the age of 2 months.

Yellow Fever Risk

All travellers to South America and Africa may require the Yellow Fever vaccine and in some cases it is compulsory for entry into the country. You will be advised at your appointment whether this vaccine is necessary as it will depend on your specific itinerary. Please be aware that although some countries are not listed as compulsory, if you are travelling from one yellow fever zone to the next, it then becomes a mandatory requirement.

There is a charge of £45 per Yellow Fever vaccine which must be paid prior to administration. If you intend to travel anywhere in South America or Africa please bring either cash or cheque to cover the cost of the vaccine to your appointment and remember to book at least 10 days prior to travel. You will be issued with a Yellow Fever certificate which is only valid 10 days after vaccination.

Additional travel vaccines

There are other travel vaccines not offered at St. John's Way that may be recommended for your trip. This could be dependent on your itinerary, length of travel, destination and current disease outbreaks which will all be discussed at your appointment. The following is a list of vaccines which you could be recommended to have at your local travel clinic and, as they are not routinely available on the NHS, these will incur a fee:

• BCG (tuberculosis)
• Cholera
• Japanese encephalitis
• Rabies
• Tick bourne encephalitis

Travel to Saudi Arabia

For those embarking on the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah the Meningitis ACWY vaccine is compulsory to meet visa requirements. Please visit the Hajj Information or NaTHNac websites for more information. Each vaccine costs £40 and payment must also be accepted prior to vaccination. Please bring cash or cheque to cover the cost of this vaccine if you intend to travel to Saudi Arabia. The Meningitis ACWY vaccine can only be given to children from the age of 3 months and any child under the age of two will require two doses, three months apart. If you have a child under two who is travelling to Saudi Arabia please make your appointment at least 3 months prior to travel. You will be issued a certificate for this vaccine which must be given at least 10 days prior to travel.

Children

It is recommended that children are up to date with the current UK childhood immunisation schedule prior to any travel abroad - childhood immunisation programme. Please bring a copy of their immunisation record (red book) to their appointment. Even if they are too young for travel vaccination, it is important that you seek travel advice as in some cases it may be preferable to delay travel until they are of an age that they can receive vaccine protection.

Additional Resources

Unfortunately we are unable to supply travel advice over the phone. If you have any queries regarding your itinerary please visit

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