Travel Clinic & Holiday Vaccinations

Hep A Vaccines – National Shortage

There is currently a national shortage of the Hep A Vaccines which is affecting all GP surgeries and travel clinics. We may not be able to give you this vaccine in your travel consultation.

Assess your travel needs prior to making an appointment by visiting Fit for Travel Website or NaTHNaC Website.

If you are travelling abroad please make sure you contact us in plenty of time to arrange any vaccinations that may be necessary.

Please allow at least 6 weeks before the date of your holiday to visit our travel clinic or longer if your schedule is complicated and lengthy.

• The Practice Nurses will look at your travel needs and assess:
  • which vaccines you will need
  • what travelling advice to give you
  • and whether anti-malarial tablets are needed.

Please note – Extra care is needed if your schedule is complicated (Backpacking or travelling to Far East, India, Africa, Central and South America)   In these circumstances you should give us as much information as possible i.e. exact locations and what you will be doing in these countries, as well as what sort of transport and accommodation you will be using.

Remember that some immunisations involve a course of vaccines which can only be given effectively over a period of time. A good immunity against some diseases can take time to obtain. This may involve up to 4 or 5 appointments.

Vaccines

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge.This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Please note only the undernoted vaccines are available on NHS Prescriptions:-

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Polio

Yellow Fever

We are a Yellow Fever Centre.

NB. Yellow Fever has always been very common in Central African Countries but now is on the increase in parts of South America. You may be asked for a certificate in a country which does not have Yellow Fever if travelling from one that does.

If you have a chicken/egg allergy the Yellow fever Vaccine cannot be given.

If you have serious health problems the Yellow Fever vaccine may not be effective or can increase the risks of complications of the vaccine itself,  and it may be best not to have the yellow fever vaccine.  In these cases careful consideration should be taken as to whether you should be travelling to these countries at all.

Time in our Travel Clinic is limited and it is very useful if you have researched your holiday yourself before coming to the Clinic.

Travel Form

You can also complete the online Travel form and send this to us (this must be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to travel).

Advice on Malaria will be given.

Please download and print our useful guide below about Mosquito advice.

Hepatitis immunisation

Immunisation against infectious Hepatitis (Hepatitis A) is available free of charge on the NHS in connection with travel abroad. However Hepatitis B is not routinely available free of charge and therefore you may be charged for this vaccination when requested in connection with travel abroad.

Alternative Travel Clinics

Not all patients will be able to attend our travel clinic due to pressure on appointments or due to short notice travel.

You may wish to make alternative Travel Clinic arrangements. The nearest private Travel Clinics are:

The Hertfordshire Clinic – St Albans

Tel: 01727 898162

Hemel Hempstead – Masta Travel

Tel: 01442 236733

Masta Travel Clinic Newport Pagnell

Tel: 0330 100 4268

Superdrug Clinic, Milton Keynes

Tel: 0845 026 0830

Excess quantities of regular repeat prescriptions

Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the United Kingdom. However, to ensure good patient care the following guidance is offered. People travelling to Europe should be advised to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card.

Medication required for a pre-existing condition should be provided in sufficient quantity to cover the journey and to allow the patient to obtain medical attention abroad. If the patient is returning within the timescale of their usual prescription, then this should be issued (the maximum duration of a prescription is recommended by the Care Trust to be two months, although it is recognised that prescription quantities are sometimes greater than this). Patients are entitled to carry prescribed medicines, even if originally classed as controlled drugs, for example, morphine sulphate tablets.

For longer visits abroad, the patient should be advised to register with a local doctor for continuing medication (this may need to be paid for by the patient).

General practitioners are not responsible for prescriptions of items required for conditions which may arise while travelling, for example travel sickness or diarrhoea. Patients should be advised to purchase these items from community pharmacies prior to travel.

Useful Links