Travel Destination Advice

What other precautions can I take to stay safe?

Our specialist travel healthcare professionals are available to provide comprehensive destination specific travel vaccine advice. We inform you of the latest travel health alerts, provide malaria prevention strategies and general travel health safety information.

 

Your consultation will include advice about your chosen destination/s and any pre existing medical conditions which are then tailored to your individual needs.


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pre-travel-advice

What vaccines do I need?

Travelling abroad but unsure on which vaccines you may need? Our highly qualified travel healthcare team are specialists in their field, providing excellent advice and recommendations for every destination.

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Drinking Water – Essential Tips

Important for reducing risk of traveller’s diarrhoea, as well as other water-borne infections-hepatitis A, typhoid, polio, cholera.

  • We advise against drinking or brushing with tap water
  • Avoid using ice cubes
  • Please drink only boiled water or carbonated beverages.
  • Be wary of bottled water as safety and bottling conditions may not be adequate
  • Boiling water for 3 minutes followed by cooling, kills infection carrying organisms.
  • Filtration devices or chemical disinfection such as chlorine tablets (may not kill all parasitic infections) are also worth considering as alternative
  • For people who are unvaccinated against rabies, Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HRIG) could be life-saving. However, HRIG is often unavailable or unreliable in many countries, and without it, the results of a rabies infection is often fatal. Receiving a rabies vaccination before you travel is the best way to protect yourself, as although post-exposure care may be needed, it will eradicate the need for HRIG. Read more about Rabies here.

Food Safety

Please adhere to the following advice:

  • Avoid eating unpeeled fruit
  • Please refrain from eating raw vegetables
  • Avoid drinking unpasteurised dairy products
  • Do not eat raw or rare meat, shellfish
  • Ensure that your food is always piping hot

Traveller’s Diarrhoea

Very common: 20-60% incidence depending on destination (high risk regions include: Africa, Asia, Middle East and South America).

Bacterial – Bacterial pathogens occur in 80-90% of cases. Common agents include E.coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella spp and Salmonella spp.

Viruses – Norovirus, rotavirus are common causes.

Parasites – Giardia most common, others include Entamoeba.

Symptoms

Usually includes the sudden onset of diarrhoea (can be bloody), abdominal pain/cramps, fever, vomiting. Duration typically 3-5 days in bacterial cases, 2-3 days in viral and can be weeks in untreated parasitic infections.

Treatment

Hydration – oral rehydration sachets/solutions

Antibiotics – in moderate/severe cases have proven beneficial.

Antimotility drugs – provide symptomatic relief

Travellers’ Diarrhoea Kits can be purchased from us for £35. These include all three treatments listed above; oral rehydration solution, Azithromycin (an antibiotic) and Loperamide (anti-motility).

Oral rehydration solution packs can also be purchased separately for £5.85 (box of 6 sachets). These are suitable for both children and adults.

Prompt medical advice must be sought if you should develop a fever, vomiting, confusion, blood in your stools or if the diarrhoea has not improved within three to four days. We advise to seek medical advice if not improving after 1-2 days, especially in the elderly/children or if symptoms of dysentery (bloody loose motions) are present.

Prevention

The cholera vaccine gives cross-protection against E. coli enterotoxin. Can be effective for traveller’s diarrhea.

  • Avoid contact with animals especially dogs, monkeys and cats.
  • If bitten wash wound thoroughly with soapy water for 10 minutes
  • Do not suture or close wound
  • Seek urgent medical advice
  • Open water, soil and sand can harbour infection therefore
    • avoid swimming in fresh water (risk schistosomiasis)
    • avoid walking barefoot on sand/soil, which may be contaminated with faeces (hookworm infection)

Insect Bite Avoidance

  • Mandatory even if vaccinated or taking antimalarials
  • Plan activities, so you can avoid insect/tick/mite infested areas and maximise preventive measures during peak hours to reduce exposure where possible
  • Day biting mosquitoes-spread infections also including dengue and yellow fever
  • Night biting mosquitoes- spread diseases including malaria and Japanese Encephalitis
  • Sandflies-cause leishmaniasis and are active from dusk until dawn
  • Tsetse fly-cause sleeping sickness and are found within vegetation and grasslands of Sub Saharan Africa, and exhibit day biting
  • Ticks/mites-cause lyme’s disease and tick borne encephalitis, and are found meadows / woodlands / grasslands / forests
  • Protective clothing-long sleeved shirts and pants, tucking in shirts / pants, closed shoes, can add permethrin to clothes for added protection
  • Check skin regularly for ticks/mites during and following outdoor activities
  • Apply insect repellants regularly to exposed areas
  • Always wear sun protection, using a minimum of SPF 15+.
  • Avoid sun bathing between 12-2pm
  • Wear Sun glasses
  • Photocopy passport and any certificates
  • Email details of bank, help numbers etc to yourself
  • Email photocopies of certificates etc
  • Know where to get help
  • Obtain Comprehensive insurance including
    • Covers for all activities
    • Ensure Insurance company aware of any medical problems (may not cover if decline recommended vaccines).
  • Registered Travel Clinics
    Including Yellow Fever Centres
  • Private clinics with qualified specialists
    Walk-in appointments and online bookings are available
  • Anti-Malarials
    Dispensed on-site in clinic
  • Full range of Vaccines in Stock
    Including Yellow Fever, Typhoid, DTP
  • Same Day appointments
    For last minute travellers
  • CQC registered
    Registered and regulated by the Care Quality Commission

Find your nearest CityDoc

With over 150 clinics nationwide, there is a CityDoc clinic to suit all of your travel needs

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Travel Vaccinations

Whether you are going on a honeymoon, trekking or going on a last minute business trip, we can provide you with a comprehensive travel clinic service. Our specialist nurses and pharmacists offer vaccinations for travel to any country in the world, as well as destination specific health advice tailored to your itineraries. Click here for a full list of vaccinations we offer. Please note: Parents or legal guardians will need to directly accompany any child who is being vaccinated and bring along a photo ID for themselves.

Vaccinations

Pre-Travel Advice

Our pre-travel consultations are with experienced travel health specialists and pharmacists who will assess the impact of any pre-existing medical conditions along with your vaccine requirements. They will discuss in detail countries at risk, precautions you can take to avoid exposure and how to travel safely. We also highly recommend visiting the government websites which has the latest travel news and advice for every destination.

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Travel health enquiries

For all travel health enquiries, simply contact us below.

Travel Vaccinations

Flu (Influenza) Vaccination

Sexual Health

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