Everything You Need To Know About Getting Travel Vaccinations
Last Updated: August 7 2022
Travel vaccinations are a pain to anyone who wants to travel there’s no two ways about it. They can be super expensive, time consuming and they can have unpleasant side effects. However they are one of the most important things to think about when planning a trip. This is because they can give you piece of mind on the road and prevent health scares. Here are a few things to think about when getting travel vaccinations, to make it a smoother process than ours was!
1. Check with your GP
This part only applys to people in the UK but check with your doctors first. This is because you should be able to get most of your vaccinations for free on the NHS. Check this with your doctor before heading to a travel clinic for a quote. I only had to pay a £20 fee and had most of mine done for free at my doctors.
2. Make sure you book an appointment with your doctor BEFORE 6-8 weeks of travel.
A lot of the guide books you read may say 6-8 weeks but trust us when we say it may not be enough time. My vaccinations worked out fine, however jacks didn’t work out so well. Jack booked an appointment with his doctor around 8/9 weeks before leaving and found out his doctor didn’t do them anymore. He then had to change to another doctor which was a very long process to find out that he wouldn’t be able to get an appointment in time. This meant he had to pay a lot more compared to me!
3. Be prepared to pay extra for some vaccinations.
Vaccinations can be super expensive, but they are a necessity to get into some countries. In the UK a lot of vaccinations are covered by the NHS however there are a few that are not. We both chose to pay £165 extra for our Rabies jabs so we could stroke dogs and find cute animals of course. However, It also gives us piece of mind when we are travelling. I don’t know what prices are like for vaccinations in other countries, but I do know that jack had to spend a lot on his vaccinations. It can add up especially if you are having multiple vaccinations, so take this into consideration when you are saving for your trip.
4. Make sure you know where you are going.
This may sound like a silly thing to say, but doctors will need a definite list of the countries you are going to before they can decide what vaccinations you need. If you aren’t 100% sure just make a list of the countries you know you are visiting first. Then make a separate list of the ones that you may visit if you have time. This is what me and Jack did. This is because if you have spare money at the end of your trip you will already be vaccinated to go to another country that you fancied, leaving out the hassle of sorting out another vaccination. Chances are if you are travelling between countries close together you will be probably be vaccinated as it is, but it’s best to be safe.
5. Shop around for travel vaccinations.
If you can’t get them paid for by your local health service, it is best to look at multiple clinics, pharmacies and even retail stores to get the best price. We looked around multiple places and decided to get them in boots. This was because they had the lowest prices, best vaccine availability and we also have a boots advantage card. This meant when paying a lot for our jabs, we were getting some money back in boots points. These points could then be spent on items needed for our travels such as bug spray, sun cream and other toiletries.
Getting travel vaccinations can be a pain and they aren’t exactly the most exciting part of planning a trip. However they are one of the most important. Don’t put off getting them done, or cheap out and decide not to get them. If you have to lose some of your trip money do it. It just isn’t worth the risk of anything happening while you are out there.
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Until next time thanks for reading
Jack & Abbie
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
