Information about travel vaccinations

Who should have travel vaccinations

If you're travelling abroad, you may need to be vaccinated against illnesses mainly found in that country.

There are lots of different travel vaccinations, so the ones you’ll need depends on the country you're going to, and where in that country you're going.

Getting vaccinated reduces the chance of you becoming ill or bringing a disease back into the UK. This helps everyone, including vulnerable people who may not be able to have a travel vaccination.

Countries and the vaccinations you need

Check the vaccinations recommended for the country you're travelling to on the TravelHealthPro website

You should try to get advice from a travel health professional at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. This is because some vaccinations involve a course of doses, and others take time to build up protection against the disease.

You may not be fully protected when you travel if you leave your vaccination until the last minute.

Where you get your travel vaccination from depends on the vaccine. Some vaccines are free on the NHS and some you have to pay for.

Free vaccinations on the NHS

You can get free NHS vaccinations, after completing a risk assessment form, at a GP surgery to protect you from:

• cholera
• polio (given as part of the combined TD/IVP vaccination)
• hepatitis A
• typhoid fever

Vaccinations you need to pay for

Vaccinations not routinely available on the NHS include vaccinations to protect you from:

• hepatitis B
• Japanese encephalitis
• rabies
• tick-borne encephalitis
• yellow fever (only available to book at certain vaccination centres) – find a yellow fever vaccination centre on the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website

You can book and pay for travel vaccinations at a private vaccination clinic, a pharmacy with travel health services, or a GP surgery if available.

At your appointment, you may be asked about previous travel vaccinations and routine vaccinations. All travellers, including children, are recommended to be up to date with standard vaccinations, such as measles.

If you do not know what vaccinations you've had, you can get help with vaccinations in the NHS App, or ask your GP.

Proof of vaccination

You may also need to get an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP). Once you've paid and had a vaccination, such as yellow fever, this certificate is your proof.

Find out more information about travel vaccines on the NHS website