Travelling abroad is one of life’s great pleasures, but staying healthy on your trip starts long before you board the plane. Many destinations require — or strongly recommend — specific vaccinations, and several courses need to be administered weeks or even months in advance to be fully effective. A little planning now means a worry-free holiday later.
Plan Ahead — The Six-to-Eight Week Rule We recommend booking your travel consultation at least **6 to 8 weeks before departure**. This timeline allows for multi-dose vaccine courses (such as hepatitis B or rabies) to be completed, and for your immune system to develop full protection. Last-minute travellers can still be vaccinated, but some protection is better than none, and we will always do our best to put together an accelerated schedule.
During your consultation we will review:
- Your full itinerary, including any rural or off-the-beaten-track stops
- The activities you have planned (trekking, diving, working with animals)
- Your medical history and current medications
- Your vaccination records, including childhood jabs
Common Travel Vaccines The right combination depends entirely on where you are going, but the following are among the most frequently recommended:
- **Hepatitis A** — recommended for most destinations outside Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
- **Hepatitis B** — important for longer trips, medical or volunteer work, or anywhere you might receive medical care.
- **Typhoid** — essential for travel to South Asia, parts of Africa and Latin America.
- **Yellow Fever** — legally required for entry to many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Only certified centres can administer this; we are one of them.
- **Rabies** — strongly advised for adventurous trips, long stays, or travel to remote areas where post-exposure treatment may be hard to access.
- **Japanese Encephalitis** — recommended for rural travel in parts of Asia, particularly during the rainy season.
- **Tick-borne Encephalitis** — for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts visiting forested parts of central and eastern Europe.
Malaria Prevention For travel to malaria-endemic regions, antimalarial tablets are essential — no vaccine yet offers reliable protection for travellers. Several options are available, including atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone), doxycycline and mefloquine. Each has different dosing schedules, side effect profiles and costs. Our pharmacists will help you choose based on your destination, the length of your trip and your medical history.
Equally important is bite avoidance: cover up at dawn and dusk, use a DEET-based repellent (50% strength for adults), and sleep under an impregnated mosquito net when accommodation isn’t fully screened.
Beyond Vaccines: Your Travel Health Kit A well-stocked travel kit can turn a holiday-ruining problem into a minor inconvenience. We recommend including:
- Oral rehydration sachets for traveller’s diarrhoea
- A short course of antibiotics (where clinically appropriate)
- High-factor sun cream and aftersun
- Plasters, antiseptic wipes and blister care
- Any regular medication in original packaging, with a copy of your prescription
Book With Confidence Riviera Health Pharmacy is a fully registered travel clinic. Most appointments are completed in a single visit, with vaccines administered on the spot. We provide signed certificates where required (including the International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever).
Book your travel clinic appointment today — online, by phone or in person. Safe travels begin with sound advice.
