Travel Immunisations
We offer a travel risk assessment and vaccination service for foreign travel.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CONTACT THE SURGERY AT LEAST 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE DATE to ensure the assessment and any vaccinations can be completed in good time, and to allow time for vaccinations to work.
Please read all of the information on this page carefully.
You need to download and print out, our Travel Risk Assessment Form
If you don’t have the ability to print yourself at home, you can collect a copy of this form from the surgery.
You need to make a 30 minute appointment with a Practice Nurse here at the surgery; when booking, please make sure it is booked for the purpose of travel vaccinations and advise the receptionist of the destination you are travelling to.
You need to complete the form (available above) as fully as possible and bring this to your appointment. Your practice nurse will use the form, your medical history and her/his research, using the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), to produce an individualised Travel Risk Assessment (TRA) and to suggest what vaccinations might be needed. These vaccinations may be offered at the appointment, or you may be given a date to come back (ie if there is a delay due to ordering specific vaccines)
In order that a full and safe TRA can be produced, it is advisable to book your appointment with the practice nurse around 6 weeks prior to your departure date, but we can see a patient anytime before travel as we feel strongly this is also about health education as well as the vaccines.
When travelling abroad, vaccinations are often recommended to protect your health. All vaccinations require 10 – 14 days to become fully effective. Some diseases require a course of vaccinations which necessitate more than one appointment with the practice nurse.
Our travel clinics are currently held on Tuesday afternoons, but you may be offered an appointment to suit availability.
If you are travelling within two weeks of your appointment, we may be unable to provide detailed individual travel advice. This is because we are unable, at such short notice, to research a safe, individualised risk assessment which would assist in ensuring your travel safety. If you have researched and wish to have pre travel vaccinations we will endeavour to make appointments for you, subject to clinic appointments being available.
It may assist you to know a little about the countries to which you are travelling, and any health travel problems that you may be at risk from on your trip, before you book an appointment. The following website will be able to provide information on your destinations; www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
Other sites that may be of use are; www.gov.uk (foreign travel advice) has info/advice about local customs/laws etc.
The NHS website at www.nhs.uk has good info/advice about malaria and other health related travel risks
Once the Travel Risk Assessment has been completed with the nurse in your appointment, you can ask to receive a copy via email. If you do not have an email address ask for a printout at your appointment.
Most travel vaccinations are not supplied via the NHS. If any immunisations or antimalarials you decide to have following our recommendations have a charge for them this will have to be paid before we can order the vaccines. Dispensary accept cash and card payments.
Any further questions about this service, please contact the surgery.
PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NO LONGER A YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CENTRE.
The following clinics are registered to administer Yellow Fever vaccinations. We have been told the clinics below can offer specialist travel advice which may include a shorter time frame for assessing your travel risk.
Boots Travel Clinics
12-13 Cornhill, Dorchester DT1 1BQ, Telephone 01305 264340
190-196 High Street Poole Dorset BH15 1SX, Telephone 01202 681377
