Travel advice

Protecting you and your family when travelling to another country

The Travel Health Pro website supported by UKHSA has up to date information on health risks in countries across the world and is a one-stop-shop for information to help you plan your trip abroad.

Ideally you should consult your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic four to six weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines and malaria prevention tablets, if relevant for your destination. 

We are also reminding parents of the risk of measles due to sub-optimal vaccination rates across the world, including in parts of Europe. Parents should check their child’s Red Book now to ensure that children have had their MMR and other routine vaccines.

If you’re unsure, contact your GP practice and if needed they will bring you or your child up to date. Anyone, including adults, can get the MMR vaccines for free on the NHS if you have missed out.

For more information click on the link below.

NHS vaccinations and when to have them - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

Travel acquired Malaria 

This is the first-time cases have exceeded 2000 in the last ten years. All malaria cases are preventable and simple steps like using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, sleeping under treated bed nets, and taking malaria prevention tablets can lower infection risks.  

If you are feeling unwell during your trip, it is important to seek medical help abroad. When you return to the UK and feel unwell, you should promptly seek medical attention and ensure you inform your healthcare provider that you have been travelling recently.

 

Be aware of ticks 

UKSHA launched the annual tick awareness campaign which runs throughout the spring and summer months when ticks are most active.

Ticks in England can carry infections, including Lyme disease and rarely tick-borne encephalitis. 

For more information visit the NHS website 

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

Planning to visit a farm?

If you are visiting farms these simple steps will help reduce your risk of catching infection from animals or the environment. 

Visiting a farm is an enjoyable and educational experience for many people, particularly children, but farm animals can be the source of several bugs that can be passed from animals to humans and cause illness. Some can be particularly serious for children or pregnant women.

On farm visits you must:

• avoid touching faces or putting fingers in mouths while in farm environments
• don’t kiss farm animals or allow children to put their faces close to animals
• wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching animals, fences, or other surfaces in animal areas
• don’t eat or drink while touching animals or walking round the farm and only eat and drink in picnic areas or cafes
• wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating or drinking
• remove and clean boots or shoes that might have become soiled and clean pushchair wheels then wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
• don’t use gels or wipes instead of washing hands with soap and water - gels and wipes don’t remove E. coli O157
• supervise children closely to make sure they wash their hands thoroughly

 

Whooping cough 

Whooping cough can affect people of all ages but for very young infants, it can be particularly serious.

Getting the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy is a highly effective way to protect your baby in the first few months following birth. Vaccine effectiveness against infant death from whooping cough is very high, at around 97%

We are encouraging all pregnant women to get vaccinated, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks, but you should still get the vaccine if you are further along in your pregnancy.

UKHSA is also urging parents to check that their children are vaccinated against whooping cough, which is offered to all infants at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age (as part of the 6-in-1 combination vaccine) with an additional dose included in the pre-school booster vaccine.

 

Covid-19 activity 

Covid -19 activity remains at low levels.  The NHS national booking system is now open for bookings for the COVID-19 spring vaccination programme. This is for those at highest risk to top up their immunity.

The eligible cohorts are:   

• Adults aged 75 years and over
• Residents in a care home for older adults
• Individuals aged six months and over who have a weakened immune system

Booking are open and will end on Sunday 30 June.