Travel Health

a large passenger jet flying through a cloudy blue sky

Do you need vaccinations?

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel, you will need to complete a Patient Triage form by clicking this link. You will then be sent by text, a questionnaire to complete. Once complete the nurse will contact you to discuss what vaccines are needed after having done a travel assessment.

The provision of travel vaccines in the NHS is changing and only certain vaccines are available. These are Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Cholera, Tetanus, Diptheria and Polio. Other vaccines need to be sourced via private health clinics. Please visit www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk to see if you need any private vaccines.

 

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk

Select the region you are travelling to find out more.

Europe Europe & Russia North America North America
Central America Central America South America & Antarctica South America & Antarctica
Caribbean Caribbean Africa Africa
Middle East Middle East Central Asia Central Asia
East Asia East Asia Australasia  Australasia and Pacific
a sign on a pole next to a palm tree

Further Travel Information

The following websites will give you additional travel advice

Travel Health for information of vaccinations available on NHS

MASTA for private vaccination clinics

Gov.uk for specific country travel advice

EHIC to apply for your free European Health Insurance Card

 

Travelling with Medication

It is the patient’s responsibility to establish the rules for their destination, airline and any country they are travelling through. These may all be different!

Patients need to remember prescribed AND over-the-counter medications. (In some areas, common over-the-counter medications such as nasal decongestant inhalers (VICKS to you and I) and cough linctus are banned.)

Patients should do this well in advance:

  • Local regulations (e.g. in Turkey, China and Singapore) may require them to get a licence for carriage of ANY personal medication.
  • They may need a doctor’s letter and to get this translated by an authorised body for any medication to be carried.

Controlled drugs

Even travelling within Europe may require some care if your patient is using controlled drugs:

  • Government advice is that a patient must be able to prove controlled medication belongs to them to travel into or out of the UK.
  • This requires a letter outlining use and countersigned by ‘the person who prescribed the drugs’.
  • If carrying more than 3 months’ supply, they will also need a Home Office licence: https://www.gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs