Frequently Asked Questions

You should arrange to see a travel nurse at least six to eight weeks before you are planning to leave the UK, as some vaccinations require more than one injection, over the course of several weeks. Your travel nurse can advise you on which vaccines you need. Most travel vaccines are suitable for small children but there are some age restrictions to consider. If you are planning a trip with your baby or toddler, make sure you consult a doctor or travel nurse well in advance of your departure.

Every year, the NHS estimates that almost one in four British holidaymakers will travel without getting vaccinated properly, meaning that they’re potentially exposed to life-threatening infectious diseases. Travelling without immunisation will also put others at risk, too, as you could bring an infection back to the UK with you.

However late in the game it is, make sure you do all that you can to avoid getting sick abroad by going to speak to your GP or travel consultant about your vaccine options.

If you are visiting a country which is in the tropical and subtropical regions of South America and Africa, don’t take it lightly. Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus that is spread through mosquito bites, hence easily caught. Symptoms take 3–6 days to develop and include fever, chills, headache, backache, and muscle aches. About 15% of people who get yellow fever develop serious illness that can lead to bleeding, shock, organ failure, and sometimes death. These symptoms can be worse if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are a senior.

Complications during the toxic phase of a yellow fever infection include kidney and liver failure, jaundice, delirium, and coma. People who survive the infection recover gradually over a period of several weeks to months, usually without significant organ damage.22 Sept 2020

Malaria is not caused by a virus or bacteria but is contracted when bitten by an infected mosquito and one bite is sufficient to catch Malaria.

Sometimes referred to as Malaria ‘attacks’, the patient experiences shivering and chills, high temperature and sweating before returning to normal body temperature. Usually the signs of Malaria don’t surface until a few weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito.

There are several precautions you can take to protect yourself from mosquitos:

  • Apply mosquito repellent with DEET (diethyltoluamide) to exposed skin.
  • Try to sleep in areas draped by mosquito nets.
  • Ensure the hotel/Airbnb you select has aqeduate screens on doors and windows.
  • Treat clothing, mosquito nets, tents, sleeping bags and other fabrics with an insect repellent called permethrin.
  • Cover your skin with long sleeves and long pants to reduce areas exposed to possible bites.
  • Get the Malaria vaccine before you travel to high risk areas.

Children and infants are at a higher risk of contracting severe or fatal malaria and are therefore advised to avoid taking children into high risk regions. If travel is unavoidable, precaution must be taken as well as antimalaria medication.

It is important to discuss chemoprophylaxis (antimalaria) medication with our clinician.

  • The medication and dosage is determined by the destination, age, weight and health condition.
  • Parents must supervise child’s dosage and intake to prevent overdose which can be toxic.
  • Children may not be able to take the medication easily so these can be blended with honey, jam, etc to make it easier to take.

If you are travelling to a risk area for malaria, you need to take malaria tablets with you.

Depending on where you are going, you can choose between Chloroquine, Malarone and Doxycycline. We can supply these to you.

Vaccine Duration of protection
Meningitis ACWY 5 years
Cholera 2 years in children aged 6+ years old (6 months in 2-6 years old)
Hepatitis A 25 years
Hepatitis B 25 years
Hepatitis A & Typhoid 25 years (Hep A)/3 years (Typhoid)
Hepatitis A & B (adult) 15 years
Hepatitis A & B (child) 10 years in children aged 12-15 years, and 5 years in children aged 1-11 years
Japanese encephalitis 10 years
Diphtheria, tetanus, polio 10 years
Rabies 10 years
Typhoid 3 years
Tick-borne encephalitis 3 years
MMR 20 years
Flu 1 year
Pneumococcal 5 years (or one off vaccination depending on condition)
Chicken pox (varilrix) 10 years
Shingles 5 years
HPV 10 years

*Duration may vary based on individuals, please discuss further with our clinician during your visit.

Prescription weight-loss drugs approved for long-term use (more than 12 weeks) produce significant weight loss. The combination of weight-loss medication and lifestyle changes results in greater weight loss than lifestyle changes do alone.

Over the course of a year, this could equate to a weight loss of 3% to 7% of total body weight above that achieved with lifestyle changes alone. That may seem like a modest amount. But a sustained weight loss of 5% to 10% can have important health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

You may experience no side effects or mild ones such as nausea, constipation or diarrhea. These may lessen over time. Serious side effects are unlikely to occur but it is important to discuss your treatment options and approach thoroughly with our clinicians.

If you able to make lifestyle changes while taking the weight loss medication, you are unlikely to regain the lose weight when you stop the medication. However, some fluctuation is to be expected.

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