Travel Health

Important Information

It is important to make the initial appointment as early as possible, minumum 6 weeks prior to travel, as a second may be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. 

TRAVEL ADVICE

Our practice nurses are available by appointment to offer medical advice regarding travel and vaccinations where appropriate. Please telephone reception to book an appointment. 

Our nurses can provide travel health advice and arrange for appropriate immunisations. Please arrange an appointment for a travel consultation at least 6-8 weeks before departure if possible. Vaccines need time to take effect and some may require a course over several weeks.

Select the region you are travelling to find out more.

Africa

Central Asia

East Asia

Australasia & Pacific

Caribbean

Central America

Europe & Russia

Middle East

North America

South America & Antarctica

Further Travel Information

The following websites will give you additional travel advice

Travel Health for information of vaccinations available on NHS

MASTA for private vaccination clinics

Gov.uk for specific country travel advice

EHIC to apply for your free European Health Insurance Card

 

TRAVEL ASSESSMENT FORM

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to firstly complete the attached form and hand into the reception office. At this time an appointment will be made with the practice nurse approximately one week later for a telephone consultation to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include the countries and areas you are visiting to determine which vaccinations are required. It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible (minimum of 6 weeks prior to travel), as a second appointment will be required with the Practice Nurse to actually receive the vaccinations.

Travel Vaccination Prices

Are all travel vaccines available on the NHS?

No, please see table below.

Table 1. Travel vaccines available on the NHS

Hepatitis 

Typhoid

Tetanus , diphtheria and polio combined vaccine

If required travel vaccine is available on the NHS (Table 1) you will usually be able to obtain it from your GP practice.

Table 2. Travel vaccines not available on the NHS

Hepatitis B (single agent)

Meningitis ACWY

Yellow Fever

Japanese B encephalitis

Tick bourne encephalitis

Rabies

If the required travel vaccine is not available on the NHS (Table 2) you would need to visit a private health clinic.

Sedative Prescribing: Fear of Flying

Ravenswood Medical Practice does not prescribe sedatives for fear of flying; the reasons for this can be found below:

  1. Sedating medications (such as diazepam) make you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
  2. Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.
  3. Whilst most people find these medications to be sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
  4. According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF) benzodiazepines and similar medications are contraindicated (not recommended) in the treatment of phobia. A Doctor would be taking a significant risk by prescribing against these guidelines.
  5. Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in many countries. They may be confiscated, or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
  6. Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing, you may fail this having taken diazepam.

Ravenswood Medical Centre appreciates that a fear of flying is very real and very frightening, several airlines and travel insurance firms provide support for the management of this problem.

The following links are not endorsed by Orchard Medical Centre but might be useful for further information:

Page last reviewed: 07 October 2025
Page created: 23 August 2022