If you've booked a holiday you may want to start thinking about whether you need vaccinations prior to travelling, and if so, which ones.
Denise Chalkley, clinical director at The Globe Travel Health Centre, a clinic based in Norwich city centre, talks about the importance of travel vaccinations and discusses the services The Globe Travel Health Centre provide.
Why travel vaccinations are necessary
No medical technology has better contributed to fighting disease than vaccinations. It's one of the most cost-effective and successful public health interventions. Travel vaccinations are especially important when you're travelling to far-flung, exotic destinations. Getting vaccinated before your trip will keep you safe and healthy and also help to prevent you bringing home a disease which could be passed on to family and friends.
Some of the most widely needed vaccinations are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tetanus and typhoid. The team at The Globe Travel Health Centre are travel experts of the highest calibre. Their clinics are staffed by high-skilled nurses and an expert clinical team, so patients are undoubtedly in safe hands. You can read more about them here.
How to find out which vaccinations you need
Some vaccines may be required for you to travel to certain places. Animals and insects spread disease and can have a dramatic impact upon your health, which is why vaccinations and medications keep you safe, for example, the rabies or Japanese encephalitis vaccine and/or anti-malarial preventative medication. You're more likely to catch the rabies virus if you're in direct contact with animals, so it's worth bearing this in mind, and seeking advice on prevention from The Globe Travel Centre's specialist nurses.
The Globe Travel Health Centre takes pride in offering bespoke advice. Vaccine recommendations are very person-specific, as they depend on where you're travelling to and when, the duration, time of year, purpose of your trip, and your accommodation type. For example, if you were travelling to India, The Globe Travel Health Centre would focus on offering DTP, rabies, hepatitis A, typhoid and hepatitis B, as well as food and water advice and tips on avoiding insect and animal bites. If you head over to their recommended vaccinations page you can select the country you're visiting to see a list of recommended vaccines.
When to have your vaccinations
The Globe Travel Health Centre recommends that you get your vaccinations at least 4-6 weeks before you travel. However, some vaccines require you to have multiple doses spread over a period of time, and often it can take 2-6 weeks before vaccines become fully effective. This is why it's advised that you get in touch with them as soon as possible after booking your trip.
The cost
The cost of travel vaccinations can vary depending on where you're going and how many injections you need to have. Not all travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS. At The Globe Travel Health Centre there's a £15 appointment fee for your first appointment and £7.50 for follow up appointments with their specialist Travel Health Nurses. More information on pricing can be found here.
The Globe Travel Health Centre
The Globe Travel Health Centre strives to provide a professional service to ensure your health and safety while travelling. They're very experienced in treating and advising patients regarding not only vaccinations, but non-vaccine related health care advice such as food and water safety and mosquito bite avoidance. The advice they provide is tailored to you, and takes into account your travel itinerary, as well as any pre-existing medical conditions you have and medicines you may have been prescribed.
If you've booked a holiday or plan to in the near future, and would like travel advice or need to have a vaccination, visit travelvaccination.co.uk/ or call 01603 667323 to speak to a member of their team.
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