Services
Travel Clinic at P&S Chemist
Page Contents
Overview
Yellow Fever Vaccination
When Should I Think about Travel Vaccines?
What Travel Vaccines do I Need?
Travel Vaccinations at P&S Chemist
Things to Consider Before You Travel
If you are planning to travel outside of the United Kingdom, 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. P&S Chemist's travel clinic, which is a private service paid for by you, is the ideal 'one-stop-shop' for travel vaccines, travel advice and travel essentials such as mosquito repellents, flight socks, diarrhoea relief and rehydration therapies. So you can rest assured that you and your family are protected wherever in the world you travel too. After all, 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 that are found overseas.
Yellow Fever Vaccination
If you require a yellow fever vaccination, please see the link below, as the yellow fever vaccine and vaccine certificates are only available from registered yellow vaccination centres, costing typically £60 to £85.
Find a yellow fever vaccination centre near you
When Should I Think about Travel Vaccines?
Realistically, you should think about your travel vaccines at least 8 weeks before you are due to travel. This is because some vaccines need to be administered in advance to allow your body to develop its immunity, and other vaccines require several doses over periods of weeks or even months, to achieve full protection.
Depending on what you have planned during your travels, you may be more at risk of some diseases, for example, if you are travelling in rural areas, backpacking, staying in hostels or camping, or are on a long trip rather than a package holiday in a resort etc.
Consequently, if you are considering any of the above or have other off-the-beaten-track events planned, or if you have a pre-existing health issue, that may make you more at risk of infection or other health complications, please let our pharmacist know, as you may require extra protection.
What Travel Vaccines do I Need?
What travel vaccinations are necessary or recommended, depends on what areas of the world you are visiting. To quickly cross-reference this information, please see the following websites:
Travel Health Pro is a website created by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), which comprises travel health resources and was set up by the Department of Health in 2002 with the broad aim of protecting the health of British travellers.
NHS Fit for Travel is a free public access website providing up-to-date health information for the UK public on avoiding illness and staying healthy when travelling abroad by Public Health Scotland.
Some countries require proof of vaccination, for example, for polio or yellow fever, which must be documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before you enter or when you leave. Saudi Arabia requires proof of vaccination against certain types of meningitis, with the MenACWY vaccine, for visitors arriving for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
If your vaccinations require documentary proof, whether it is for the ICVP range of vaccinations, or the MenACWY for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, this will be provided to you, as standard, by our pharmacist at P&S Chemist. Although, even if a certificate or proof of vaccination is not required, it is good practice to take a record of the vaccinations you have had when you travel.
Travel Vaccinations at P&S Chemist
A wide range of travel vaccinations are available at our pharmacy. We offer bookings via our website and you will also provide appointments via telephone. The service will be provided in a private consultation room where you can ask any questions you might have during your vaccination process. We advise that you contact P&S Chemist before arriving at our pharmacy to ensure we have the correct vaccines for your travel destination and itinerary.
P&S Chemist is accredited to vaccinate children, although this depends on the vaccination type and your child's age, as some exclusions apply. If you have had vaccinations previously, these will need to be re-checked to ensure they provide the necessary protection, as you may need a booster dose, or a full course again if the protection has expired.
A consultation fee of £10.00 is charged per patient which also includes general travel health advice and an information pack for you to refer to. Any patient who purchases vaccinations and/or antimalarials will be refunded the £10.00 charge and will only be charged for their purchases.
It is advisable to bring with you, if available, your history of any previous vaccinations, medical conditions and any medication that you are currently using. The travel vaccinations that are available at P&S Chemist are as follows:
Hepatitis A & Hepatitis A Junior: Hepatitis A is a liver infection that is spread in the faeces of an infected person. Hepatitis A is not common in the UK, but it is rather common around the world. Hepatitis A Junior is the children's equivalent of the adult hepatitis A vaccine. For more information on hepatitis A, please click here.
Hepatitis B: This vaccination provides protection against the Hepatitis B virus, which causes liver disease, cirrhosis, scarring of the liver, and liver cancer. This vaccination is part of the NHS vaccination schedule, but your protection against hepatitis B will most likely be expired. See here for more information on hepatitis B.
Hepatitis A and B: This is a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine and is used to provide protection against both forms of hepatitis. ideally for travellers going to areas of the world where hepatitis A and B are endemic, for people with hepatitis C or chronic liver disease, and for those at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
Typhoid: This vaccination is recommended if you are travelling to parts of the world where typhoid is a common condition. These are regions where there is poor sanitation and hygiene, such as the Indian subcontinent, Africa, south and southeast Asia and South America. For more information about typhoid, see here.
Typhoid & Hepatitis A: This vaccination is a combined injection that protects you from hepatitis A and typhoid for 3 years. Side effects of this vaccine are uncommon and are usually mild, such as headaches and fever.
Polio: This is an infection that is now very rare in the UK due to the NHS routine vaccination programme. If you were born in the UK, you most likely had your course of polio vaccines when you were a child. However, there is a small risk of catching polio when travelling to a country like Afghanistan or Pakistan, without a polio booster, where polio is still an issue. Polio is spread from contaminated food or water and indirect contact with the faeces of an infected individual.
Some countries will require proof of vaccination for polio, such as the ICVP before you can enter, which will be provided by our pharmacy. At P&S Chemist, we provide the polio vaccine as part of the 3-in-1 or the Td/IPV vaccine, this is given to boost protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio.
MenACWY: This vaccination protects against 4 strains of the meningococcal bacteria - A, C, W and Y, which cause meningitis and septicaemia, otherwise known as blood poisoning. This vaccination is required if you want to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage. We would also advise 'Fresher' students who are going to university for the first time to have the MenACWY vaccine, to protect themselves against meningitis and septicaemia. See here for more information about meningitis, or here for the MenACWY, or here for more details about the life-threatening reaction known as sepsis, septicaemia, or blood poisoning.
Japanese Encephalitis: This is a viral brain infection that is spread to humans through mosquito bites. The vaccination is recommended if you are planning to stay at least a month in rural areas in southeast Asia, the Pacific islands and the Far East, and even Cape York in northeastern Australia. P&S Chemist advises it is particularly important to get vaccinated if:
- You are travelling during the rainy season or there is a year-round risk due to a tropical climate.
- You are visiting rural areas, such as marshlands, rice fields or jungles.
- You are undertaking activities that may increase your risk of infection, such as cycling through the countryside or camping etc.
Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis usually consists of 2 injections, the second dose administered 28 days after the first. Ideally, you should have the second dose 7 days before you leave for your travels. For more information about Japanese encephalitis, please click here.
Rabies: This vaccine protects people at risk of being exposed to rabies, which is commonly caused by being bitten or scratched by an infected animal. It is advised that you have the rabies vaccine if you are planning to stay a month or more overseas, are undertaking activities that increase your exposure to animals, or if your destination is remote and access to quick medical care is unlikely. For more information about rabies, please see here.
Cholera: This will protect you from an infection that can cause severe diarrhoea. Whilst not found in the United Kingdom, there is a small risk of contracting cholera whilst travelling in some areas of the world. You can catch cholera by:
- Drinking unclean water.
- Eating food (particularly shellfish) that has been in or washed with unclean water.
- Eating food that has been handled by an infected person.
Cholera is mainly found in areas without a clean water supply or modern sewage systems, such as parts of Africa and Asia. for more information about cholera, including how to avoid the infection whilst travelling, please see here.
Tick-Borne-Encephalitis: This is a vaccination that will protect you from a viral infection spread by tick bites. Ticks that spread this form of tick-borne-encephalitis (TBE) are found in parts of Europe, Asia and some areas of the United Kingdom. Ticks live in forests and grassy areas, consequently, you are more at risk of being bitten if you are going to do outdoor activities such as hiking or camping in countries where the infection is common. Not all ticks spread TBE, so even if you are bitten, the risk of becoming ill is low. For more details about TBE and tick bites in general, see the NHS website entry here.
Things to Consider Before You Travel
If you are travelling to countries in northern and central Europe, North America or Australia, it is unlikely that you will need any travel vaccinations, pending certain circumstances. If you are going to travel somewhere else in the world, please consider the following, so we can ensure that you are suitably protected for your travel experience:
- Your age and health: You may be more vulnerable to infections than others; plus some vaccines cannot be administered to those with certain medical conditions.
- Working as an aid worker: This will increase your risk of contact with more diseases in refugee camps or providing aid after a natural disaster.
- You are working in a medical environment: Whether a doctor, nurse or another healthcare worker, you may require additional vaccines to ensure you are fully protected.
- Contact with animals: The more contact you have, the greater the risk of contracting diseases spread by animals, such as rabies and malaria.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Please speak to us at P&S Chemist before booking or having travel vaccinations if:
- You are pregnant.
- You think you might be pregnant.
- You are breastfeeding.
In most cases, it is unlikely a travel vaccine administered whilst you are pregnant or breastfeeding should cause any problems for you or your baby, but our pharmacist will be able to give you further advice on this matter.
People with Immune Deficiencies
For those people travelling overseas that have immune deficiencies, vaccination against 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.
Your general practitioner or our pharmacist at P&S Chemist will be able to provide further advice about these potential issues.
Page last reviewed: 03/11/2022
Next review date: 03/11/2024