Which Travel Vaccinations are Free?

Some vaccinations are available free on the NHS, while others you will be required to pay for.  The following list gives an indication of which fall into which category.

Vaccinations which are normally available free on the NHS preceding overseas travel:

Cholera
Diphtheria booster
Polio booster
Tetanus booster
Hepatitis A
Meningitis C
Typhoid

Vaccinations which you will normally have to pay for yourself preceding overseas travel:

Hepatitis B
Japanese Encephalitis
Meningitis Vaccines other than Meningitis C
Rabies
Tick Borne Encephalitis
Tuberculosis
Yellow Fever

If you’re going to be travelling to an area where malaria is a risk, you will also need to take an anti-malarial medication.  These can usually be purchased over the counter at a chemist.  If you’re pregnant you will want to talk to someone specifically about whether it will be safe for you to take anti-malarial medication as many are not safe for use during pregnancy.  Ideally it’s best to avoid travelling to areas where malaria is a risk while pregnant.

You won’t always require vaccination or anti-malaria medication when you travel abroad.  It will depend on where you are travelling to, what you plan on doing there, and the season during which you will be visiting may make a difference too.

For up to date information on the vaccinations that are currently recommended for various different countries you can look at the following websites:

www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx
http://www.nathnac.org/ds/map_world.aspx

Travel vaccinations can be given from a variety of different places including your GP Surgery where your GP or a practice nurse may give them, or from a specialist travel clinic.  If your GP can’t provide the vaccinations you require, then he should be able to refer you to a travel clinic locally that will be able to.

Some vaccinations you will be required to pay for even if it is your GP surgery which provides them.  GP surgeries do sometimes charge less than travel clinics however.  The vaccination for yellow fever can only be given at an approved yellow fever vaccination centre.  Speak to them about having the vaccination before arranging any other vaccinations as certain vaccines must either be given within a few hours of each other, or more than a certain number of days/weeks apart.

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