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Vaccines & Travel Medicine

Adult vaccines

Please see the following link to the current NHS schedule for children and adults – www.nhs.uk

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations

 Children’s vaccines

We do all routine childhood immunisations. Please see the following link to the current NHS schedule for children and adults – www.nhs.uk

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations

We can also follow the American vaccination schedule if required. Please see the following link to the current American schedule – www.cdc.gov

www.cdc.gov/vaccines

 Travel vaccines

Before travelling please let us have the exact dates and the destinations so we can provide the correct advice. Travel vaccination often involves balancing the risk of the vaccine versus the benefits. The net benefit of vaccines such as rabies and Japanese encephalitis will also depend on the length of stay in a vulnerable area. We are a certified yellow fever centre.

 How long do vaccines last?

Yellow fever vaccine: this was previously thought to last 10 years but has now been extended to being one jab for life.

Typhoid vaccine: 3 years

Hepatitis A: Initial vaccine followed by a Booster 6 to 12 months after the first vaccine will give you immunity for 20 years.

Tetanus, Polio and Diptheria: the routine primary vaccination schedule of five sets of vaccine, should provide long-term immunity. However, if going abroad to isolated areas a further booster may be advised after 10 years. Advice should be sought if you have a tetanus-prone wound. 

 How long before travel do I need to have vaccines?

The above vaccines are ideally given at least two weeks prior to travel.

Courses for rabies and hepatitis B require three immunisations and should be started six weeks before.

The yellow fever certificate only becomes endorsed 10 days after the jab has been given, so do allow enough time before travel as otherwise you could be refused entry.

 Medicines for travel

We provide appropriate prescription-only medicines where prudent. For long-distance sailing trips or expeditions, we provide training in suturing and treatment kits which include diagnostic advice.