Most travel vaccines need time to work, and several need more than one dose. Booking early gives you the full range of options and spreads the cost across a few appointments rather than one.
A sensible timeline
Start thinking about travel health as soon as your flights are booked, not once the packing starts.
- 1Eight weeks before: book a travel health consultation and bring your itinerary
- 2Six weeks before: begin any multi dose courses such as rabies or hepatitis B
- 3Four weeks before: single dose vaccines such as typhoid and hepatitis A
- 4Two weeks before: collect antimalarials and standby treatment packs
- 5Week of travel: check your yellow fever certificate and pack your medicines in hand luggage
What if you are travelling sooner
Short-notice trips are still worth a consultation. The options depend on your destination, departure date, medical history and the vaccines you may need.
- Your full itinerary including rural stops and stopovers
- Any vaccination records or yellow certificates you already hold
- A list of current medicines and known allergies