If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, your travel health needs will depend on your individual situation. This includes:
your destinationhow long you’ll staywhat you’ll be doingyour general health
The fitfortravel website provides country-specific advice on:
recommended vaccinesmalariaother travel health risks
Travel health risk assessment
If you think you require vaccines and/or a malaria risk assessment, you should make an appointment with a travel health professional.
A travel health risk assessment is also recommended for some people, even when vaccines or malaria tablets aren’t required. This includes:
older peoplethose with a weakened immune systemthose with long-term conditions that need medicationspregnant womenchildren
To make an appointment for a travel health risk assessment in Scotland, contact the NHS health board where you live.
Alternatively, you can visit a private clinic for:
a travel health risk assessmentadviceother travel vaccines
You should arrange a travel health risk assessment 6 to 8 weeks before you travel. This gives time for any vaccines you might need to become fully effective.
If your trip is sooner, remember it’s never too late to get advice.
Travel vaccines
The following travel vaccines are free on the NHS in Scotland:
diphtheria, polio and tetanus (combined booster)hepatitis Atyphoidcholera
It’s likely that you’ll have to pay for vaccines against:
yellow feverJapanese encephalitistick-borne encephalitisrabies
Additionally, you might have to pay for the following vaccines if they’re only required for travel purposes:
hepatitis Bmeningitistuberculosis (TB)
