HealthLink360: Do I really need travel vaccinations before going overseas?

Do I really need travel vaccinations before going overseas?

In short, yes. Travel vaccines are designed to protect you from infections and diseases prevalent in other parts of the world. It is strongly recommended that you seek the advice of a travel health professional before embarking.

You can reduce your risk of severe illness and complications by ensuring that you are fully vaccinated and armed with the right travel health information; making for a much safer and enjoyable experience abroad.

If you have a pre-existing health condition, this may make you more vulnerable to risk of infection or complications from a travel-related illness. Staying in rural areas, hostels or campsites, spending a longer period overseas or backpacking puts you at greater risk as you may not have ready access to healthcare should you fall ill.

We advise booking a travel consultation to take place at least 6-8 weeks before you depart. Certain vaccines need to be administered well in advance of your departure date to allow your body time to develop immunity. There are also some countries that require a certificate of yellow fever vaccination before you enter and/or leave; this can only be provided by a travel health professional at a registered yellow fever vaccination centre.

At HealthLink360, our travel nurse specialists offer a bespoke service tailored to your individual health picture and planned itinerary. When you book a consultation, our team will take into consideration your health history and current needs before providing up-to-date travel health advice and recommendations for your chosen destination to ensure you are fully covered before your trip.

Our nurse specialists will discuss a range of topics; from good hygiene around food and water, how to protect yourself from malaria to general animal/insect bite prevention as well as options to alleviate travel sickness and altitude sickness. The consultation is personal to you and your travel plans, considering the risks associated with the country/countries you are visiting alongside any scheduled activities whilst there.

Malaria is worth highlighting as a serious and potentially life-threatening disease which a growing number of travellers contract before returning to the UK.

The latest UK Health Security Agency data shows a rise in travel-related mosquito borne infections, such as malaria, which can cause serious illness. These infections have been confirmed in parts of the UK among individuals returning from abroad. In 2023, 2,106 cases of imported malaria were recorded.

It is preventable and curable if diagnosed and treated properly. You travel health nurse will discuss this with you in detail and advise on any available and necessary medications required for the region you are travelling to.

To book an appointment or discuss your travel health needs, call 0131 653 6767 or email admin@healthlink360.org

For more information on the vaccines you may require for the country you are visiting, you can refer to: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations

HealthLink360 is a charitable organisation. We specialist in medical, psychological and travel health services for global workers seeing to make a difference through their line of work. Our travel clinic, based at Carberry, is open to all travellers.

Written by HealthLink360 in February 2025