Where to get holiday jabs

More about testing and overseas travel Travel risk assessment A pre-travel risk assessment provides a good opportunity to discuss travel-associated risk management with your GP, practice nurse or private healthcare provider.

Travelling abroad to visit friends and relatives If you're travelling abroad to visit friends or relatives, you might be at higher risk of developing travel-related illnesses such as typhoid or malaria.

Find clinics in Scotland that offer yellow fever vaccinations Travel health advice Many of the health risks experienced by travellers can't be prevented by vaccinations or anti-malarial tablets and other preventive measures should be taken. The fitfortravel website provides health information for people travelling abroad from the UK, including: destination-specific advice for vaccinations and malaria - including maps of malaria affected regions food and water precautions accident prevention insect bite avoidance child travellers pregnant travellers immunocompromised travellers travel insurance Travelling with medications If you intend on travelling with medication including over-the-counter medications check for any restrictions on medications before you travel.

Travel safety advice You can find country-specific safety and security advice through the GOV. Source: Public Health Scotland - Opens in new browser window. Last updated:. How can we improve this page? Email Address e. Risk is highest for those with underlying medical conditions where there is increased risk of severe disease e. Risk is higher for long stays, frequent travel and for children exposed through cuts and scratches , those who may require medical treatment during travel.

Meningococcal disease is found worldwide but epidemics may occur within this country, particularly during the dry season. Risk is higher for those mixing with locals for extended periods.

A total of 5 doses of polio-containing vaccine are recommended in the UK for lifetime cover. Boosters are usually recommended for travel to countries where polio remains a problem. Countries may require proof of polio vaccination when you leave them: check the 'Alerts' section below to see if there are any 'Polio Vaccination Exit recommendations' for this country. Risk is higher for those working or living in remote or rural areas with no easy access to medical facilities , longer stay travellers, those planning on undertaking activities such as trekking, cycling or running in a 'high risk' country, those working with, or regularly handling animals or bats, as part of their job, and children.

Even after receiving pre-travel rabies vaccine, urgent medical advice should be sought after any animal or bat bite. Spores are found in soil worldwide. A total of 5 doses of tetanus vaccine are recommended for life in the UK. Find out more about risk areas on the Travel Health Pro website. Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis usually consists of 2 injections, with the second dose given 28 days after the first. Read more about the Japanese encephalitis vaccine. Vaccination against some types of meningococcal meningitis is usually recommended if you're travelling to areas at risk and your planned activities put you at higher risk — for example, if you're a long-term traveller who has close contact with the local population.

High-risk areas for meningococcal meningitis include parts of Africa and Saudi Arabia during the mass gatherings of Hajj or Umrah. All travellers to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages are required to show proof of vaccination. If travelling to a high-risk area, you should be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis with a MenACWY vaccine, also known as the quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis vaccine.

This is a single injection that should be given 2 to 3 weeks before you travel. Babies under a year old need 2 injections. You should have the MenACWY vaccine before travelling to high-risk areas, even if you had the meningitis C vaccine as a child. Read more about the meningococcal meningitis vaccine. The MMR vaccine that protects against measles , mumps and rubella is routinely given to all children in the UK.

You should make sure you and your children are up-to-date with routine vaccinations, including MMR, before travelling. If you haven't been fully vaccinated against these conditions or you're not already immune, you should ask about MMR vaccination before you travel. The MMR vaccine is given as 2 injections. These are usually given when a child is 12 to 13 months old and when they start school.

But if vaccination has been missed previously, adults can have the doses 1 month apart, and children can have them 3 months apart if necessary. A combined vaccination that protects against diphtheria, polio and tetanus is routinely given to all children in the UK. Further booster doses are usually only recommended if you're going to visit parts of the world where polio is, or has recently been, present and your last vaccination dose was more than 10 years ago.

Currently, the condition is most common in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, but it's also a risk in other regions of the world. Vaccination against rabies is advised if you're travelling to an area where you could get rabies, particularly if:. Rabies can be found in many parts of the world. UK provides a detailed list of countries that have rabies in domestic animals or wildlife.

Vaccination involves a course of 3 injections before you travel, usually given over a period of 28 days. If you're bitten, licked or scratched by an animal in a country where rabies is a problem, further doses of rabies vaccine with or without a special anti-rabies injection given around the wound may be required as emergency treatment.

Public Health England has produced a leaflet with more information about rabies risks for travellers. Further booster doses are usually only recommended if you're travelling to areas where access to medical services is likely to be limited or your last vaccination dose was more than 10 years ago.

Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis TBE is usually recommended for anyone who plans to live or work in a high-risk area, or hike and camp in these areas during late spring or summer.

If you need a yellow fever vaccine , keep in mind that it is currently available only at a limited number of clinics in theUnited States. The nearest yellow fever vaccination clinic may be some distance away from where you live, and appointments may be limited. Find the nearest clinic and contact it ahead of time to make sure it has the vaccine. How long travel vaccines last depends on the vaccine. If you're traveling outside the United States, you should see a health care provider who is familiar with travel medicine to talk about your upcoming trip.

He or she will be able to provide you with advice for any vaccines and vaccine boosters based upon where you are going and when you got your previous vaccinations. Be sure to bring your vaccine records to your appointment! Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable.