There’s nothing quite like a summer holiday, soaking up the sunshine in a place where warm weather is guaranteed and enjoying al fresco dining without wrapping up in a cagoule.
The majority of holidaymakers from Scotland this summer will be heading to Europe, North America or Australia, where there is no requirement for vaccinations. However, if you have booked a vacation to somewhere more remote, you need to start thinking about arranging your travel vaccinations at your local pharmacy.
Where do you need holiday jabs for?
If you are unsure if you need inoculations, you will need to look for travel advice on the government website, which lists the different requirements you will need for each destination, as well as the health risks and safety measures to consider.
For instance, if you are travelling to Mexico, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO) has advised against all but essential travel to some states, including Zacatecas.
It also recommends travellers be up to date with their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio jab.
Those who are travelling to Zimbabwe, as another example, will need a yellow fever certificate, and hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid are also recommended.
It is important to consider what type of holiday you are going on, as this will inform you of your health risks.
For instance, if you are travelling in rural areas, backpacking, camping or staying in hostels or going on a long trip, you are more likely to come into contact with a disease and, therefore, should consider getting all the recommended vaccinations.
When should I get the vaccinations?
Some vaccinations need to be administered eight weeks in advance, so anyone travelling during the summer months needs to start planning their jabs this spring. This gives the body enough time to develop some immunity, while some need a few doses spread over a certain timeframe.
Most people take their holiday between July and September, with 28.3 million Brits having headed abroad during this period in 2023. While most of these holidays were to Europe (23 million), this still means more than five million were to far-flung destinations.
Where should you get your travel jabs from?
Once you have worked out whether you need travel vaccinations and when you should start having them, you need to find out if your current jabs are up to date.
Your GP practice will have records of previous inoculations and can administer any doses that you are missing. These include jabs for polio, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis A, which are all available on the NHS.
Some pharmacies can also provide these travel jabs, relieving pressure on GP surgeries, so it is worth finding out whether your local chemist is one of them.
There are a few vaccinations that need paying for, such as tuberculosis, yellow fever, meningitis and rabies, among others, so if the FCDO recommends these, travellers will need to pay to get these done.
What about protection from malaria?
There is no jab to protect against malaria, but holidaymakers travelling to an area that has high incidences of infection will need to take antimalarial medicine.
Tropical regions, such as some parts of Asia, South America, Africa and the Pacific Islands, are more likely to have mosquitoes infected by malaria, which then pass on the virus when they bite.
Your GP can prescribe antimalarials, with the course of medication typically starting a few days before flying abroad. This needs to be continued for some weeks after returning as well.