A Working Checklist for Travel Vaccinations
Travel Vaccinations: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Immunisations recommended or required for travel to particular destinations. Several need weeks to take effect, and some are conditions of entry rather than optional.
Key takeaways
- Lead time: ideally 6-8 weeks before travel
- Free on the NHS: some, including typhoid, hepatitis A and cholera
- Most useful single change: Book a travel appointment six to eight weeks ahead.
- Commonest mistake: Leaving it until the week before travel.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Book a travel appointment six to eight weeks ahead
- Check destination-specific advice on TravelHealthPro
- Bring your vaccination record to the appointment
- Check routine vaccinations are up to date as well
Do not
- Leaving it until the week before travel
- Assuming childhood vaccinations cover you
- Skipping yellow fever certification where it is required for entry
The numbers behind the list
Every item above comes from these figures, published in the guidance listed at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Lead time | ideally 6-8 weeks before travel |
| Free on the NHS | some, including typhoid, hepatitis A and cholera |
| Yellow fever | required for entry to some countries; certificate needed |
| Routine vaccines | should also be up to date, including MMR and tetanus |
| Information source | NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro, by destination |
If you change one thing
Book a travel appointment six to eight weeks ahead. Start there. The rest of the list keeps.
Where to go next
- Answers to the Common Questions on Travel Vaccinations
- Travel Vaccinations: The Quick Reference
- Travel Vaccinations — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Malaria Prevention
- Travellers Diarrhoea: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to speak to a doctor
Seek medical advice before travel if you are pregnant, immunosuppressed, have a chronic condition, or are travelling to a malaria area. See a doctor urgently for fever within twelve months of returning from a malaria area, and tell them where you travelled — malaria can be fatal and is treatable.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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