Holiday Vaccinations
It’s always nice to have something to look forward to and for many this often means booking a holiday. When you book a holiday we recommend that you also book an appointment with Linda, our Practice Nurse. A member of our reception team will ask you to complete a Travel Health Questionnaire and this will be passed on to Linda before your appointment. Linda will check to see if there are any vaccines recommended for the place(s) which you are visiting and she will organise additional supplies if needed.
How far in advance should I book an appointment for holiday vaccinations?
Some vaccinations require a full course to be completed before full immunity is provided and so we recommend you book an appointment at least two months before your holiday (earlier if possible – our appointments with Linda are usually available to book up to three months in advance).
Will I have to pay?
Holiday vaccinations are NOT an NHS service however we provide most holiday vaccinations for free (Diphtheria, Tetanus & Polio, Typhoid and Hepatitis A & B – depending on the destination). There may be a charge for any other vaccines which we recommend e.g. Rabies – this is because we have to pay to get these in ourselves. Please Note: we are not a yellow fever centre and so are unable to give Yellow Fever vaccines.
What if I can’t get an appointment at the surgery?
If you are unable to arrange an appointment with Linda then there are other options available; namely travel clinics (try a Google search for your nearest travel health clinic – this may be more convenient e.g. if you work out of the area). Please Note: travel clinics do charge fees for the full travel service which they provide e.g. a consultation and the vaccines given. Our surgery has no control over any travel health clinic and as such we are unable to insist they offer their service(s) to our patients without charge.
Travelling Abroad
If you are travelling overseas there are a number of things you may need to take into consideration before you travel, here are some brief points you may want to consider.
Insurance – Comprehensive travel insurance is essential. Please ensure that your insurance covers all of your travel destinations.
Sunburn – More information on sun exposure can be found here
Stomach upsets and diarrhoea – More information on stomach upsets can be found here
Fitness to Fly – we have provided more information here
Travel vaccinations – we have provided more information here
Taking medication abroad – we have provided more information here