Travel Vaccinations, too late?

PompeyPete

Our GP Surgery provides excellent travel advice, click on Travel Information...

http://www.watersidemedicalcentre.nhs.uk/clinics-and-services.aspx

... and note which medicines are normally provided without charge...

Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio
Hepatitis A
Typhoid (injectable only)
Cholera


Tbh as a UK tax payer I'd be a bit miffed if stuff like anti-malarials were provide free to anyone lucky enough to be able to afford to travel to these exotic locations.

Ames

Just to clarify, I meant my GP doesn't provide malaria tablets at all, even if you pay.

Most GPs I've been registered with has had a price list up for vaccinations, but it might only have been certain ones. I can't have any vaccinations so I haven't read it in full, just the heading of 'travel vaccination price list'.

For anything travel related my current surgery says to go to the travel clinics.

ETA: Just checked my GP website and it links to an NHS page which shows that the ones listed by the OP are indeed free, apologies for derailing the thread. Although my GP doesn't do any of them, they have to be done at a dedicated travel clinic.

jhe

Ames wrote: »

Just to clarify, I meant my GP doesn't provide malaria tablets at all, even if you pay.

Every GP I've ever been registered with has had a price list up for vaccinations, but it might only have been certain ones.

For anything travel related my current surgery says to go to the travel clinics.

malaria tablets are easily available from pharmacies
as well as the list posted by pompey pete. My practice also include Hep B free vaccinations
I have read before some practices charge for vaccines, I am based in England

EconomicsGirl

At our surgery its the nurse that does them if that speeds things up. I would always get vaccines advised. As to whether its worth going private maybe phone doctors surgery and ask nurses advice, its a medical thing and I'm not sure anyone on here is a medical professional.

malkie76

This isn't medical advice, but vaccines take 7-10 days to offer protection. By that I mean there will be detectable antibodies in your blood stream - protection will occur far sooner than that.

Katiehound

jhe wrote: »

. I always get mine off the nurse who checks the http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-(east)/thailand.aspx site.

This is exactly what happens at my GP practice......in fact I generally check beforehand on that website. If you travel a lot it is worth keeping up to date with the vaccinations- for future reference!- They vary so much with boosters every 3 / 5 or 10 years.

The only one I know you have to pay for , big bucks too, is the yellow fever.

If you need malaria tablets check which variety are required as some are ineffective in different parts of the world. You may need a private prescription

agrinnall

jhe wrote: »

malaria tablets are easily available from pharmacies

I'm not convinced this is true for any malaria prophylaxis, but it certainly isn't for the one I used for a long stay in SE Asia, doxycycline, which required a (fairly cheap) private prescription. Antibiotics simply are not available over the counter in the UK.

The rationale for charging for some vaccinations and not others that I was given by my GP was that if the disease was contagious and therefore a public health risk it would be offered free of charge, while other diseases (for instance, rabies) had to be paid for.

jhe

agrinnall wrote: »

I'm not convinced this is true for any malaria prophylaxis, but it certainly isn't for the one I used for a long stay in SE Asia, doxycycline, which required a (fairly cheap) private prescription. Antibiotics simply are not available over the counter in the UK.

The rationale for charging for some vaccinations and not others that I was given by my GP was that if the disease was contagious and therefore a public health risk it would be offered free of charge, while other diseases (for instance, rabies) had to be paid for.

any malaria tablets I have ever needed have been available to purchase, for a holiday - not any long stays.
some pharmacists want a private interview and check what area of the world I am travelling to check I am asking for the correct malaria tablets. but the likes of Malarone ,Avloclor etc have been readily available in pharmacists.
I have never known anyone be refused malaria tablets at a pharmacist for a holiday destination but then again I and my friends are not experts just holidaymakers

agrinnall

jhe wrote: »

any malaria tablets I have ever needed have been available to purchase, for a holiday - not any long stays.
some pharmacists want a private interview and check what area of the world I am travelling to check I am asking for the correct malaria tablets. but the likes of Malarone ,Avloclor etc have been readily available in pharmacists.
I have never known anyone be refused malaria tablets at a pharmacist for a holiday destination but then again I and my friends are not experts just holidaymakers

I think you must be dealing with a rather dodgy pharmacist. The Lloyds pharmacy website confirms that a prescription is required for Malarone.

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/info/malarone

jhe

I do not buy online
There are a lot of items that require a pharmacist to be present when purchasing not just malaria tablets , various items require a prescription when buying online that can be bought over the counter if a pharmacist is present .
I have bought from Boots , Asda , Morissons pharmacies among others , just to add, one of those insisted I needed Malarone for the Dominican Republic ! Which is incorrect