Your Complete Guide to Travel Vaccinations in the UK: What You Need and How to Get Them
Planning a trip abroad? It’s important to ensure you’re protected against potential health risks specific to your destination. Travel vaccinations can safeguard you from diseases that may not be prevalent in the UK but pose a risk in other parts of the world. This guide will break down what you need to know about travel vaccinations, how to get them, and how to use CompareHealth’s Vaccination Tool to find the best options.
What Are Travel Vaccinations?
Travel vaccinations are immunisations that protect you from diseases found in specific countries or regions. Depending on your destination, you may need vaccines for illnesses like yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, and others. These vaccines are essential for reducing your risk of infection and ensuring a safe trip. While some are recommended, others are mandatory for entry into certain countries (e.g., a yellow fever vaccination certificate is often required for parts of Africa and South America).
Why Are Travel Vaccinations Important?
Even if you’re up-to-date on routine vaccinations, travel vaccines are crucial because:
- - Different Regions, Different Risks: Diseases like malaria, dengue, and cholera are common in many parts of the world but not in the UK.
- - Avoiding Illness Abroad: Falling ill in a foreign country can be costly and complicated.
- - Country Entry Requirements: Some countries require proof of certain vaccinations for entry.
How to Find Out Which Vaccines You Need
Use the CompareHealth Vaccination Tool to check recommended and mandatory vaccines based on your destination. Simply enter your travel destination, and the tool will show a list of vaccines along with general travel health advice.
- 1. View Recommended Vaccines: See which vaccines are recommended.
- 2. Check Availability: Browse local clinics and providers offering the vaccines.
- 3. Book an Appointment: Schedule your vaccination at a nearby clinic.
With CompareHealth, you can get the information you need and book your travel vaccinations in just a few clicks.
Common Travel Vaccinations Available in the UK
- - Hepatitis A and B: Protects against liver infections transmitted through contaminated food, water, or bodily fluids.
- - Typhoid: Recommended for regions with poor sanitation and high risk of typhoid transmission.
- - Yellow Fever: Required for travel to parts of Africa and South America.
- - Rabies: Advised if you’re travelling to areas where rabies is common, especially if you plan to interact with animals.
- - Japanese Encephalitis: Recommended for long stays or rural travel in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.
- - Meningitis ACWY: Needed for certain parts of Africa and required for Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
- - Malaria Prevention Tablets: While not a vaccine, malaria prophylaxis is essential for travel to malaria-endemic regions.
How Much Do Travel Vaccinations Cost in the UK?
The cost of travel vaccinations can vary depending on the vaccine and the provider. Typical prices include:
- - Hepatitis A: £30 - £50 per dose
- - Typhoid: £25 - £45
- - Rabies: £50 - £100 per dose (usually a 3-dose course)
- - Japanese Encephalitis: £85 - £120 per dose
- - Yellow Fever: £60 - £80
For multiple vaccinations, many clinics offer travel health packages to help reduce costs.
When Should You Get Your Travel Vaccinations?
It’s recommended to start planning your travel vaccinations at least 6?"8 weeks before your trip. Some vaccines require multiple doses spaced over a few weeks, so early preparation is key. If you’re travelling last-minute, don’t worry — some vaccines and malaria tablets can still be effective when taken closer to your departure date.
Find the Right Travel Vaccinations with CompareHealth
At CompareHealth, we’re committed to helping you travel safely. Our Vaccination Tool makes it easy to determine what vaccinations you need, find nearby clinics, and book appointments online. With our comprehensive listings and up-to-date guidance, you can be confident that you’re making the best choices for your health.
CompareHealth Top Picks
Location: Boots
Why? With more locations than any other provider, Boots is likely to have a clinic nearby - wherever you live.
Price: Superdrug
Why? At £37.50 for a typhoid vaccination, Superdrug's prices are some of the most competitive on the market.
Reliability: Superdrug
Why? With over 7,000 reviews at an average of 4.9, Superdrug is highly competative when it comes to reliability
Article Sources
- - World Health Organization (WHO) notes that travel vaccinations are crucial in preventing infectious diseases that are not prevalent in your home country, such as yellow fever, typhoid, and cholera. WHO emphasizes the importance of vaccination before traveling to regions with high disease incidenceVaccines Overview](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/immunization-coverage)
- Hepatitis A & B: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hepatitis A and B vaccines are essential for travelers to regions where these viruses are prevalent, as they can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, or contact with infected blood . [CDC - Travel Health Informatio/wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/hepatitis-a)
- Typhoid: A study published by Nature Reviews Disease Primers confirms the efficacy of the typhoid vaccine in reducing infection rates, especially in areas with poor water and sanitation systems . [Nature Reviews - Typhoid Vaccine Effica//www.nature.com/articles/nrdp201618)
- Yellow Fever: Research shows that vaccination for yellow fever is critical for travelers to parts of Africa and South America. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required by some countries for entry . WHO - Yellow Fever
- A 2021 report by NHS England outlines the typical costs of travel vaccinations in the UK, which can range from £30 for Hepatitis A to £100 for rabies . NHS - Cost of Travel Vaccines
We include references at the end of every article, so you know where we get our facts. We only ever take evidence from medically-recognised sources, approved by the UK National Health Service's The Information Standard, or certified by Health On the Net (HON). When we talk about popular health trends or claims, we'll always tell you if there's very little or no evidence to back them up. Our medical team also checks our sources, making sure they're appropriate and that we've interpreted the science correctly.
