What we offer
Travel Risk Assessment
Are you struggling to find out what vaccinations you need for you travel? Contact us for a thorough travel risk assessment.
The assessment fee is £15. You can have a telephone consultation or face-to-face consultation and it does not form part of the vaccination cost.
Yellow Fever Centre
You may need an international certificate of vaccination to travel. Look no further. We are accredited to provide yellow fever vaccinations.
Contact us for yellow fever exemption and replacement certificates. You will need to book a travel risk assessment for this service. Cost of replacing your vaccination certificate is £15.
Please click here to complete the Vaccination Risk Assessment Form prior to a consultation with us. If you require a Yellow Fever Vaccination, please complete this additional form.
General information about vaccination
The type of vaccination you will need depends on the country you are visiting, your vaccination history and the timescale recommended for the vaccination doses. So, it is important that you are vaccinated in time to develop immunity. We recommend that you seek travel advice at least four to six weeks before you are due to travel.
For more information about travel and vaccination, visit https://patient.info/travel-and-vaccinations
Cholera
Cholera is caused by a bacteria called vibrio cholera. The infection causes diarrhoea with or without vomiting. This can lead to dehydration, and it can be fatal in severe cases.
Cholera is not found in UK but there is a small risk of getting it while travelling in some parts of the world.
How can I catch Cholera?
- You can catch cholera from drinking unclean water.
- Eating foods such as shellfish from unclean water or handled by infected person.
How can I prevent it?
- You can prevent cholera by getting a vaccination.
- Avoid contaminated food and water.
- Have good personal hygiene.
You can find further information from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cholera
Hepatitis A
This is a viral infection that affects your liver. Symptoms include fever, yellowing of the skin and jaundice, a general feeling of unwellness and vomiting. Most people who catch it gets better within a few months.
Hepatitis A is not common in the UK, but it is common in other parts of the world.
How can I catch the infection?
- The hepatitis A virus is passed out in faeces of infected people which can contaminate food or water.
- You can also catch the infection through close physical contact with an infected person including having sex and sharing needles to take drugs.
How can I prevent the infection?
- It is important to get vaccinated against the virus.
- Avoid eating raw food such as salads, shellfish.
- Have good personal hygiene.
- Drink bottled water.
For further information see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-a
Hepatitis B
This is a virus infection that affects the liver. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, general feeling of unwellness and jaundice.
You can get infected through:
- Having unprotected sex with an infected person.
- Sharing needles with someone who is infected.
- Having tattoos or piercings with unsterilised equipment
- Having a blood transfusion from infected person and
- It can be transferred from infected mothers to babies.
Hepatitis B is common in some parts of the world. Some people become carriers of hepatitis B and can develop liver cirrhosis, or liver cancer later.
How can you prevent the infection?
- Get vaccination to protect yourself.
- Practice safe sex
- Avoid sharing needles.
Meningitis ACWY
Meningitis is a viral or bacterial infection that leads to inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can cause sepsis. Viral meningitis is common but less serious compared with bacteria meningitis.
There are several and different types of viruses and bacteria that can cause meningitis.
Symptoms of Meningitis include:
- Stiff neck and fever
- Headache,
- Sensitivity to light,
- Drowsiness and seizure.
How can I catch the infection?
- Through inhalation of air droplets from sneeze and cough from infected person.
- Kissing
- And less commonly from a person who has meningitis.
How can I prevent the infection?
- The meningitis ACWY vaccine protect against meningitis caused by 4 groups of meningococcal bacteria.
- Vaccinations give protection against Meningitis.
For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/
Rabies
Rabies is a very serious viral infection which can be fatal. Rabies is found throughout the world.
But it is common in certain of the world. Rabies can be prevented if it is caught early otherwise, there is no cure.
How can I catch Rabies?
- You can catch the infection from bites or scratches from infected animals like dogs and bats.
- If infected animals lick your nose, mouth, eyes or wound.
Symptoms of Rabies include:
- A tingling, discomfort, pricking or burning sensation at the site of the bite or scratch.
- A general feeling of unwellness, headache, and fever.
- Fear of water, becoming anxious and seeing things that are not there.
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing.
- Unable to move.
How can I prevent Rabies?
- Ensure you are vaccinated.
- Wash bites, scratches and wound with water and soap thoroughly.
- Get immediate medical help after exposure.
For more information visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that affects nose, throat, and skin. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and it begins with a sore throat and fever. In severe cases, the bacteria produce thick grey or white patch that coats back of throat which causes cough, difficulty to breath and swallow.
How can I catch Diphtheria?
- By direct contact with infected person.
- Through inhaling air droplets from infected people when they cough or sneeze.
- Sharing cutlery, other objects or bedding or clothes.
How can I prevent Diphtheria?
Ensure that you are vaccinated before travelling.
Visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diphtheria/ for more information.
Tetanus
Tetanus is an infection caused by a bacterium. A person can become infected through a cut or open wound. The bacterium is found in house dust, soil, and saliva.
The symptoms may start of as
- Fever and feeling unwell.
- Sweats, headache
- Difficulty swallowing
- muscle spasm
- stiff jaw and stiff neck
- Fits or seizure
How can I prevent Tetanus?
Tetanus can be prevented through vaccination.
For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/
Polio
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus. It mainly affects children under 5years.
symptoms include fever, tiredness, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in limbs.
Most people can recover completely. But in severe cases, you can become completely paralysed in the legs.
You can catch the polio virus through the following:
- When you come into contact with infected faeces
- Eating contaminated food and water.
- It can also spread from person to person through cough or sneeze.
How can I prevent Polio?
There is no cure for Polio, but it can be prevented by vaccination.
Visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polio/ for more information.
Traveller’s diarrhoea
This is commonly experienced by travellers especially in the first few days of travel. It can be caused different germs like viruses, bacteria, or protozoa.
Travellers’ diarrhoea occurs when you have 3 or more bouts of loose, watery stools in 24-hour period. Cases can range from mild to severe symptoms and it can last up to five days. You can also experience fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps, or bloody stools.
You can experience traveller diarrhoea 10 days after returning from foreign travel.
For more information visit: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/53/travellers-diarrhoea
Japanese Encephalitis (JE)
JE is a rare but serious viral infection which is spread through mosquito bite. It is found throughout southeast of Asia and Far East. Most people do not get symptoms when they are infected, or their symptoms are mild. But in severe cases, JE causes inflammation of the brain and ultimately death.
Symptoms include:
- Fever, tiredness and headache
- Agitation or restlessness and
- Vomiting
- Neck stiffness
- Seizures
- Comma
How can I prevent JE?
- Get vaccinated if you travelling to risk areas.
- Always use insect repellent on exposed skin.
- sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide.
- Wear clothes that protect your skin from mosquito bites
For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/japanese-encephalitis/
Malaria
Malaria is common in tropical countries. It is spread to humans through mosquito bite. The incidence of malaria is higher in children younger than five years due to low immunity.
Symptoms develop between one to eight weeks or even up to a year after initial exposure and it can be mild to severe.
An infected person can experience the following symptoms:
- Tiredness.
- Headache
- Fever
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhoea, sickness
- Sore throat.
- Coughing.
- Breathlessness
- Joint or muscle aches
Malaria can be a life-threatening illness, so it is extremely important to consider prevention before travelling to an at-risk area.
How can I prevent malaria?
- You can prevent the infection by taking the malaria prophylaxis.
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin.
- Wear protective clothes to cover exposed skin.
- Sleep in mosquito nets.
visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malaria/ for more information.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)
Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral infection which is caused by bites from infected ticks. The infection can less commonly occur from drinking unpasteurised milk from goats, sheep or cows.
Some people do not get symptoms, but others develop a flu-like illness that lasts about a week. In severe cases, the infection causes inflammation of the lining of the brain. This can be fatal.
How can I prevent TBE?
- Get vaccinated to improve your immunity.
- Wear protective clothing in high-risk areas.
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin and outer clothing.
- Avoid unpasteurised milk.
For more information visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tick-borne-encephalitis/
Typhoid
Typhoid fever is bacteria infection that is caused by Salmonella typhi. The infection is common in countries with poor sanitation.
How can I catch Typhoid?
- The infection is spread through contaminated food and water.
- Contact with infected faeces and touching your mouth before washing your hands.
- Less commonly through urine.
- And having oral or anal sex with a person who is carrier of the salmonella.
Initial symptoms include fever, headache, aches and pains, cough, diarrhoea and rash.
Typhoid fever can be fatal if not treated.
How can I prevent it?
- Vaccination against typhoid fever is highly recommended if you are travelling to high-risk areas.
- Ensure good hand hygiene.
- Avoid uncooked food.
- Drink bottled water or recently boiled water.
Visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/typhoid-fever/vaccination/ for more information.
Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is caused by virus. The infection is passed to humans and other primates such as monkeys from mosquitoes.
The mosquitoes which transmit yellow fever tend to bite during daylight hours and they are different to the type of mosquitoes which carry malaria.
Some people can recover completely from the infection. Common symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting.
In severe cases, the infection progresses to jaundice and bleeding. This can be fatal.
How can I Prevent Yellow fever?
- Wear protective clothing.
- Get vaccinated if you are travelling to countries where yellow fever is present.
- use insect repellent on your skin.
- sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide, including during the day.
Visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/yellow-fever/ for more information.