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Many adults assume they are safe from childhood inoculations or are blasé about taking vaccines or preventative medication, but more should be booking appointments at a travel clinic? London experts say malaria cases n the UK are on the rise.

When you’ve booked your holidays, it’s common to have a few anxieties mixed in with the anticipation of the sun, sea, sand or adventure awaiting you. Fear of flying, concerns about keeping money safe and medical insurance tend to be on everyone’s agenda. But preventative medicine is often overlooked until the air tickets arrive advising you on vaccinations. Even those that do check into a travel clinic, London experts say are being too blasé about the medication prescribed.

Travel Clinic, London hit by Malaria

More people fly from London than anywhere else in the UK as it hosts the country’s biggest airports – Heathrow and Gatwick. And more of those people are being encouraged to attend a travel clinic – London has witnessed a sharp rise in travellers returning with a potentially fatal form of malaria because they are not taking antimalarial drugs. Health officials have warned that falciparum malaria accounts for three-quarters of malaria cases in the UK. The Health Protection Agency say this figure is up by a third from a decade ago. And yet anyone who attends a travel clinic, London or across the UK, will know that there are preventative steps that can be taken. In fact, nobody in the UK should be putting themselves at risk.

Malaria – The Big Killer

It’s nonsensical that so many people in the West take huge steps to safeguard their health and well-being but are blasé about vaccinations and preventative medicine. Attending a travel clinic, London travellers know, is easy and accessible – there really is no excuse. Experts say general ignorance and a blasé attitude is to blame. But this attitude could cost you your life. One major group of people who have experienced a significant rise in malaria cases is the migrant population. Travel clinic London experts believe that this is because some are under the mistaken belief they are already immune. But the figures show the majority of infections are coming from UK migrants visiting relatives in West Africa where the disease is a major killer. It’s this potentially fatal falciparum strain of malaria that is rising steadily; 96% of falciparum malaria infections have been recorded as being the result of visits to West Africa to regions such as Nigeria and Ghana. Health officials are urging migrant communities to visit a travel clinic – London is one of the world’s most multi-cultural capitals, and the recent research shows not enough is being done to raise awareness of the importance of attending a travel clinic for antimalarial medication.

Choose CityDoc for all your Travel Clinic needs

At CityDoc, you can book over the phone or walk into one of our travel clinics for a same-day appointment. Don’t travel abroad without ensuring that you’ve had the right vaccinations. CityDoc provides a complete travel clinic service, customized to your individual needs. Our pre-travel consultations are with experienced General Practitioners who will assess the impact of any pre-existing chronic medical conditions on your vaccine requirements. We have the full range of travel vaccines in stock including rarer vaccines such as Japanese Encephalitis. CityDoc is a registered yellow fever centre and is able to dispense anti-malarials directly from our in house pharmacy for your added convenience. Choose from our three travel clinic locations in London and Birmingham for ease of access.