If you are travelling abroad you should visit your provider in the Private Sector or Community Pharmacy to find out which vaccines you need. Ideally this should be at least 3 months before you travel. Do not leave it until the week before you go, as many vaccines need to be given a few weeks before travelling to ensure full effectiveness.

Your specialist provider will tell you which vaccines you need to get before travelling. Some of these vaccines will be available on the NHS but others are not.

GPs can give the following vaccines on the NHS:

• Diptheria
• Hepatitis A
• Polio
• Tetanus
• Typhoid

GPs cannot give the following vaccines on the NHS:

• Hepatitis B
• Japanese encephalitis
• Meningococcal
• Rabies
• Tick borne encephalitis
• Yellow fever

For vaccines that are not available on the NHS patients should seek advice from a specialist travel clinic. Private sector providers may charge a fee for advice and the administration of vaccines.

Storage of Vaccines

The vaccines should be stored appropriately, as advised by the community pharmacist until your appointment with a Practice Nurse who will then administer the vaccine.

Patients on long-term medication

If you have an illness that means that you regularly need to take medication,please ensure that you have enough with you to last for your whole holiday. If you are travelling for more than 3 months, you should find a doctor who can continue your care in the country that you are visiting.