Travel Clinic - Don't be Complacent

Tourists may spend hours reading guides about their holiday destination, but do they spend any time thinking about the vaccinations they need at the travel clinic?

Research has shown that British travellers tend to be over confident about their trips abroad, with ignorance over the kinds of vaccinations they need from their travel clinic. A recent online survey by a health research group found that although half of the people questioned said they knew about the vaccines they needed from a travel clinic, further questioning revealed they lacked 'critical knowledge', yet staff at one of City Docs travel clinics in London and across the country would quickly advise you on your risks.

Travel Clinic: The Risks

The research showed that British travellers who said they knew what shots they needed from their travel clinic were overly confident; in fact, just 46% of those questioned knew a rabies vaccination was important in Asia. Rabies is still a big killer across India, in fact more travellers would be queuing up at a travel clinic if they knew that it is estimated one person dies every 30 minutes from rabies in India. According to the Association for the Prevention and Control of Rabies in India, 20.565 people died from rabies in India in 2004. Stray dogs are often the main source of the problem, and in many developing countries that simply don't have the resources to vaccinate pets or dogs, rabies continues to be a huge threat.

Travel Clinic Vaccinations – Protecting your Future

Simply by attending a travel clinic, you can ensure you are safeguarded from the risks you might face. A travel clinic will advise you on which vaccinations you are likely to need – this often depends on not only where you are travelling to, but the purpose of your travel (if you're staying in five star hotels in India or back packing remote trails, than you will have higher risks the more intrepid you are).

Travel Clinic: Planning and Preparation

The survey showed that few traveller's and holidaymakers were aware of the risk of tuberculosis in Africa, but a TB vaccination is crucial if you're travelling to Africa as TB kills more on that continent than anywhere else in the world.
In recent weeks there has been numerous outbreaks of diseases that can all be vaccinated against, including yellow fever in the Central African Republic and the Congo and Rabies in Argentina. With a bit of careful planning at your travel clinic, it's possible to safeguard yourself from the risks – book your travel clinic around four weeks before you are due to fly so the vaccinations can work effectively by the time you arrive at your destination.

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. CityDocs travel clinics in London and across the country provide 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.