TRAVEL HEALTH GUIDE

What vaccines do I need for my trip?

A plain-English checklist for working out what you need, how far ahead to start, and what you can safely leave until later. Written by our travel health pharmacists in Bromley — no appointment needed to read it.

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Official Yellow Fever Centre

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Bromley

TIMING

How far ahead should you start?

The short answer is six to eight weeks. The longer answer is that it depends entirely on which vaccines you need — some are a single jab, others are a course spread over a month.

8+ weeks

The ideal starting point

Book a travel health consultation as soon as your trip is confirmed. This gives room for any vaccine that needs multiple doses — rabies in particular runs over three appointments — and time for your immunity to build before you fly.

4–6 weeks

Still comfortable for most trips

Single-dose vaccines such as hepatitis A, typhoid and yellow fever fit easily into this window. If you need a yellow fever certificate, remember it only becomes valid 10 days after the jab — so this is the point to stop delaying.

2–3 weeks

Antimalarials matter here

Some malaria tablets need starting well before departure — up to three weeks for certain regimes — partly to check you tolerate them. Others begin one to two days before you travel. Which one you need depends on your destination.

Last minute

Still worth coming in

Flying next week is not a reason to skip it. Most vaccines start giving some protection quickly, partial protection beats none, and we can advise on bite avoidance, food and water precautions and what to do if you become unwell abroad. Walk in or call us.

THE CHECKLIST

Six things to work through before you go

Check your destination — properly

Requirements vary within a country, not just between countries. Rural Kenya is a different picture to Nairobi; northern India differs from the south. Have your actual itinerary to hand, not just the country name.

Separate "required" from "recommended"

Only a handful of vaccines are ever a legal condition of entry — yellow fever is the main one. Everything else is recommended for your protection. Both matter, but only one can stop you boarding.

Check your routine UK vaccines are up to date

Easily overlooked. Tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are the ones that lapse quietly. If you are not sure when you last had them, we can talk it through.

Work out whether you need malaria tablets

Malaria has no vaccine — prevention is tablets plus bite avoidance. Which tablet, and when to start it, depends on where you are going and your own medical history.

Sort certificates early

If your destination requires proof of yellow fever vaccination, you need an ICVP certificate from a designated centre — and it is not valid until 10 days after the vaccination.

Check the official advice for your country

TravelHealthPro (run by NaTHNaC) and the FCDO both publish country-by-country guidance that is updated as outbreaks and requirements change. Worth a look close to departure as well as when you book.

WHY THIS MATTERS WHERE YOU BOOK

We are an officially designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre

Yellow fever is the one travel vaccine that not every pharmacy can give you. Centres have to be formally designated and registered with NaTHNaC before they are permitted to hold the vaccine or issue the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP). Plenty of high-street pharmacies and national chains are not designated — they will take your booking for other travel vaccines and then refer you elsewhere for this one.

Caxton Pharmacy is a designated centre, listed on the national YFVC directory. That means you can have your yellow fever vaccination and walk out with your stamped certificate in the same appointment, alongside the rest of your travel vaccines — rather than making a second trip to a different clinic.

Registered with NaTHNaC and listed on the national YFVC directory
Stamaril vaccine held on site
ICVP certificate issued in the same appointment
All your other travel vaccines in one visit

About our Yellow Fever service Book an appointment

BY VACCINE

What each travel vaccine is for

A quick reference to the vaccines and preventative treatments we offer, and what each one protects against.

Yellow Fever

Required for entry to some countries

A single dose gives lifelong protection. The certificate becomes valid 10 days after vaccination, so this is the one you cannot leave late.

Yellow Fever service

Hepatitis A

The most commonly advised travel vaccine

Spread through contaminated food and water. Advised for most of Africa, Asia, Central and South America.

Hepatitis A service

Typhoid

Food and water-borne

Often given alongside hepatitis A. Recommended where sanitation may be poor, particularly the Indian subcontinent.

Typhoid service

Rabies

Needs a course, not a single dose

Three doses over up to a month, so it needs the most lead time. Worth it for remote areas or long trips.

Rabies service

Malaria

Tablets, not a vaccine

Prevention is antimalarial tablets plus bite avoidance. Some need starting up to three weeks before you travel.

Malaria service

Altitude Sickness

For trips above 2,500m

Relevant for the Andes, Himalayas, Kilimanjaro and parts of the Rockies. Preventative medication is available.

Altitude Sickness service

HPV Vaccine

Not travel-specific

Available privately at the pharmacy year-round, often asked about at the same time as travel vaccines.

HPV Vaccine service

TRAVEL HEALTH FAQs

Questions people ask before booking

Start with your itinerary rather than the country name — requirements often vary by region and by what you'll be doing. The destination guides on this page are a good first pass, and a free travel health consultation with our pharmacist will give you a definitive list.

Yes — the advice consultation is free. You only pay for any vaccines you decide to have. It's a sensible first step if you're unsure what you need.

Very few. Yellow fever is the main one — some countries require a valid ICVP certificate as a condition of entry, and may ask for it if you're arriving from a risk country. Everything else is recommended rather than required, though that doesn't make it less important.

For life. Under the International Health Regulations, a valid ICVP no longer expires after 10 years. Importantly, it only becomes valid 10 days after your vaccination — so don't leave it until the week you fly.

Some are available on the NHS through GP practices, but availability varies and appointments can be hard to get at short notice. Yellow fever and rabies are private everywhere. We offer the full range privately with no referral and no wait.

No. Most vaccines begin offering some protection fairly quickly, and partial protection is better than none. We can also advise on bite avoidance, food and water precautions, and what to do if you fall ill while away. Call us or walk in.

Your travel itinerary including dates and regions, any record you have of previous vaccinations, and a list of your current medication and medical conditions. If you have an old yellow fever certificate, bring that too.