Travelling Abroad: What Vaccinations Am I Going to Need?

If you’re planning on travelling abroad anytime soon, you’ll need to check you have all the necessary vaccinations. Read on to discover some of the most common vaccinations required for overseas travel.

Hepatitis A vaccination

Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended if you’re travelling to countries where there are poor levels of sanitation and hygiene, and hepatitis A is common.

You should ask your GP, pharmacy or travel clinic if you should have the hepatitis A vaccine if you’re travelling to:

  • Sub-Saharan and North Africa
  • Asia
  • the Middle East
  • South and Central America
  • Eastern Europe

Hepatitis B vaccination

Vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended if you’re travelling in parts of the world where hepatitis B is common, especially if you’ll be doing activities that increase your risk of developing the infection.

Hepatitis B is spread through blood and body fluids. Things like having sex, injecting drugs or playing contact sports on your travels can increase your risk. Anyone travelling for long periods or who’s likely to need medical care while abroad is also at increased risk.

Hepatitis B is found worldwide, but it’s more common in parts of:

  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Asia
  • the Middle East
  • Southern and Eastern Europe
  • parts of South America

Rabies vaccination

Vaccination against rabies is advised if you’re travelling to an area where you could get rabies, particularly if:

  • you’re staying for a month or more
  • there’s unlikely to be quick access to appropriate medical care
  • you plan to do activities that could put you at increased risk of exposure to rabies, such as cycling or running

Rabies can be found in many parts of the world. GOV.UK provides a detailed list of countries that have rabies in domestic animals or wildlife.

Tetanus vaccination

A combined vaccination that protects against diphtheria, polio and tetanus is routinely given to all children in the UK.

You should make sure you and your children are up-to-date with your routine vaccinations before travelling.

Further booster doses are usually only recommended if:

  • you’re travelling to areas where access to medical services is likely to be limited and your last vaccination dose was more than 10 years ago
  • you’ve not had two booster doses

Tick-borne encephalitis vaccination

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.

The ticks that cause TBE are mainly found in forested areas of central, eastern and northern Europe, although at-risk areas also include eastern Russia and some countries in east Asia, including some regions of China and Japan.

Typhoid vaccination

Vaccination against typhoid fever is recommended if you’re travelling to parts of the world where the condition is common, particularly if you’ll:

  • have frequent or prolonged exposure to conditions where sanitation and food hygiene are likely to be poor
  • be staying or working with local people

High-risk areas include:

  • Africa
  • parts of South and Southeast Asia
  • parts of South and Central America

At Duality Health, our independent healthcare services provide a broad range of vaccinations & travel immunisations to keep you and your family protected at home and abroad, from an annual flu jab to chicken pox and meningitis. Contact us today to book a private GP consultation.

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