vaccines for travel nhs

Travel vaccinations

Advice about getting vaccinated before travelling abroad and information about common travel vaccines.

Travel vaccination advice
Available travel vaccines

Country-by-country advice

Travel Health Pro: country information travelhealthpro.org.uk
GOV.UK: foreign travel advice www.gov.uk

Travel health advice and travel vaccinations

You should make an appointment for a travel health risk assessment if you’re travelling abroad and think you need:

a malaria risk assessment
further advice

A travel health professional will take you through your travel health risk assessment.

Your GP is no longer your point of contact for a travel health risk assessment, including travel vaccines.

NHS travel health service

NHS Scotland provides a travel health service that includes some free vaccines.

To find information on how to make an appointment for a travel health risk assessment in Scotland, contact the NHS health board where you live.

Private travel clinics

You can also visit an independent (private) travel clinic for:

a travel health risk assessment
travel advice
other travel vaccines

You should arrange a travel health risk assessment 6 to 8 weeks before you travel. This gives time for any vaccines you need to become fully effective.

If your trip is sooner, remember it’s never too late to get advice.

Travel health risk assessment

If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, your travel health needs will depend on your individual situation. This includes:

your destination
how long you’ll stay
what you’ll be doing
your general health

The fitfortravel website provides country-specific advice on:

recommended vaccines
other risk prevention advice

If you think you need vaccines and/or a malaria risk assessment, you should make an appointment with a travel health professional.

A travel health risk assessment is also recommended for some people, even when vaccines or malaria tablets aren’t required. This includes:

older people
those with a weakened immune system
those with long-term conditions that need medications
pregnant women

Travel vaccines

The following travel vaccines are free on the NHS in Scotland:

diphtheria, polio and tetanus (combined booster)
hepatitis A

It’s likely that you’ll have to pay for vaccines against:

yellow fever
Japanese encephalitis
tick-borne encephalitis

You may also have to pay for the following vaccines if they’re only needed for travel purposes:

hepatitis B
tuberculosis (TB)

Proof of vaccination

To enter some countries you may need proof that you have had particular vaccines. This includes the yellow fever vaccine.

Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres. To find out if you need a yellow fever vaccine or proof of the vaccine, you should contact a yellow fever clinic.

To request a list of any other vaccines held on your GP record, contact your GP practice. GP practices cannot provide proof of COVID vaccine.

Preventing risk while travelling

Vaccines or anti-malarial tablets will not protect against all travel health risks. This means you’ll need to take extra steps to protect your health whilst travelling abroad.

The fitfortravel website has further advice on preventing health risks whilst travelling. This includes information on:

general travel advice
disease prevention

Travelling abroad to visit friends and relatives

If you’re travelling abroad to visit friends or relatives, you may be at higher risk of developing travel-related illnesses. For example, malaria or typhoid. This could be because:

you may be living with the local community
your trip might be longer than the average holiday
you might be visiting more rural areas where it’s difficult to take precautions that reduce your risk

The fitfortravel website provides information and advice on visiting friends and family abroad .

Travel safety advice

You can find country-specific safety and security advice through the UK government website .

Travel insurance advice

Many countries don’t have the same access to medical treatments as the UK and can be expensive.

It’s recommended that all travellers get comprehensive travel insurance before travelling.

When you return home

If you become unwell and/or develop a fever when you return home, it’s important to get medical advice as soon as possible. You should seek medical help even if it’s up to 1 month after you’ve been travelling.

Always make sure you tell the health professional that you’ve recently travelled abroad. This is especially important if you have been to a country where malaria is a risk.

Donating blood after travelling abroad

Travel outside the UK can affect whether you can give blood donations. This is because some infections may be caught abroad. This is usually through mosquito or other insect bites.

There are conditions for donating blood if you’ve been to certain countries. This can depend on your length of stay and some other factors.

Further information on donating blood after travelling abroad

Source: Public Health Scotland - Opens in new browser window

Last updated: 01 March 2024

Help us improve NHS inform

Your feedback has been received

Don’t include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions.

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB

Prescribing, Policies and Pathways

Prescribing Guidance

Travel Vaccines Patient Information Leaflet

Travel vaccines – information for patients, information about travel vaccines in the nhs.

The NHS has reminded GPs to make sure that they follow the existing NHS Regulations around travel vaccines , as these are not always being followed.

Some vaccines are available free on the NHS if they are needed for travel, but others are only available on the NHS for reasons other than travel.

You will need to pay for the travel vaccines that are not available on the NHS. You should not be asked to pay for these vaccines for other reasons.

Aren’t all travel vaccines free on the NHS?

Some travel vaccines are free on the NHS to reduce the risk of certain infections being brought back into the country and leading to wider spread. These currently include cholera, polio (mainly given as combined tetanus-diphtheria-polio vaccine), hepatitis A and typhoid.

Which vaccines are not available on the NHS just for the purposes of travel?

The following vaccines may be recommended for travel, but are not available free on the nhs if they are only needed for the purposes of travel :.

Hepatitis B
Meningitis ACWY
Japanese encephalitis
Yellow fever
Tick-borne encephalitis

What does this mean for me if I am planning to travel?

The vaccines listed above will need to be paid for if they are given only for travel. Although you may have had some of these vaccines free in the past, the NHS has asked prescribers to make sure that they follow the existing NHS Regulations around travel vaccines in future.

What if I need one of these vaccines for reasons other than travel?

There are many situations where the vaccines listed above are provided free on the NHS.

Some vaccines are given to certain age groups as part of the NHS vaccination schedule. For example, the meningitis ACWY vaccine is given to teenagers and students.
Some vaccines, such as hepatitis B, are given to people with certain medical conditions, or to those who take part in high-risk activities.
Some vaccines are needed very quickly if you have contact with an infection. For example, you may need a rabies vaccination if you are bitten by a bat in the UK or by another animal overseas .

When these vaccines are recommended by your prescriber, they should be provided free on the NHS.

Vaccines that are required in the course of your work should normally be organised through your employer.

If you are in any doubt about whether you need a vaccine you should consult your GP practice team.

Where can I find more information and support?

You can speak to your local pharmacist, GP practice team or practice nurse
NHS provides advice about all vaccines (including travel) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
The Patients Association can also offer support and advice: https://www.patients-association.org.uk/ or call 0800 345 7115

Find out more about the medicines that are being stopped or reduced: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/items-which-should-not-routinely-be-prescribed-in-primary-care-policy-guidance/

Travel Advice and Vaccines

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:

Travel Health Pro

NHS Fit for Travel

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.

Even if an ICVP is not required, it’s still a good idea to take a record of the vaccinations you have had with you.

Find out more about the vaccines available for travellers abroad

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination

You may need COVID-19 vaccinations to travel abroad.

Check the foreign travel advice on GOV.UK to find out the entry requirements of the country you’re visiting.

Find out more about the NHS COVID Pass for travel.

First, phone or visit the GP practice or practice nurse to find out whether your existing UK vaccinations are up-to-date.

If you have any records of your vaccinations, let the GP know what you have had previously.

The GP or practice nurse may be able to give you general advice about travel vaccinations and travel health, such as protecting yourself from malaria.

They can give you any missing doses of your UK vaccines if you need them.

Not all travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS, even if they’re recommended for travel to a certain area.

If the GP practice can give you the travel vaccines you need but they are not available on the NHS, ask for:

– written information on what vaccines are needed – the cost of each dose or course – any other charges you may have to pay, such as for some certificates of vaccination

You can also get travel vaccines from:

– private travel vaccination clinics – pharmacies offering travel healthcare services

The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:

polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab )

hepatitis A

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.