Travel Health Service

Overview

If you’re travelling abroad, one of our nurses can provide you with a free travel risk assessment, including advice on health issues, what vaccinations you need, and safety abroad.

What we offer

• Free travel consultations: A nurse will discuss your trip itinerary and advise you on health issues, vaccinations, and safety measures.
• Travel vaccinations: We can administer a variety of travel vaccines, including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, Japanese encephalitis, meningitis, rabies, and tick-borne encephalitis (subject to availability).

• Administration of any travel vaccines that the NHS provides for free. 

  Vaccine name	Information	Price
  Tetanus	Adults should have had 5 doses with the last booster within the last 10 years.  Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by a toxin produced by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. Tetanus spores are found in soil throughout the world. The disease is acquired when material containing these spores, such as soil, contaminates a wound.	Free if due on the NHS £30 if not due on the NHS
  MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)	Adults should have had 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella AFTER their first birthday.  Measles: Measles is spread by airborne or droplet transmission. Initial symptoms can include fever, runny nose, conjunctivitis and cough. A rash usually appears a few days later that starts at the head and spreads to the trunk and limbs over three to four days.   Rubella: The main symptom of rubella is a spotty rash that starts on the face or behind the ears and spreads to the neck and body. The rash takes 2 to 3 weeks to appear after getting rubella.	Free if due on the NHS
  Meningococcal disease	Adults under the age of 25 should have had 1 dose of ACWY. A booster dose is not given on the NHS, this would be paid for.   Meningococcal disease is a rare, but potentially devastating infection. It is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis of which there are 6 disease-causing strains called serogroups (A, B, C, W, Y and X). Spread between individuals occurs through coughing, sneezing, kissing or during close contact with a carrier. Carriers do not have symptoms.	Free if under the age of 25 and no previous dose has been given.  If over the age of 25 or is a booster dose : £55
  Typhoid	Previous doses will have been given for travel purposes only.  Typhoid and paratyphoid are infections acquired by the ingestion of food or water contaminated by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. Symptoms of typhoid and paratyphoid include fever, headache, muscle or joint pains, constipation or diarrhoea and a rash.  Typhoid schedule: 1 dose before travel. This will give 3 years of protection from Typhoid.	Free if due on the NHS
  Cholera	Cholera is a disease, characterised by profuse, watery diarrhoea, caused by certain toxin-producing forms of the bacteria called Vibrio cholera. Cholera is transmitted by ingesting (eating and drinking) contaminated water or food. It is common in many low-income countries and is largely linked to poverty, bad sanitation and poor access to clean drinking water.  Travellers living in unsanitary conditions, including humanitarian workers in disaster/refugee areas, are also at risk as well as those drinking untreated water or eating poorly cooked food in areas with an outbreak.   Cholera outbreak areas: NaTHNaC - Cholera	Free if due on the NHS
  Hepatitis B	Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver spread through contact with blood or body fluids contaminated with hepatitis B virus (HBV). It occurs worldwide with highest rates of infection reported in the Western Pacific and African regions.  Travellers may be at increased risk if they: have unprotected sex with new partners, undertake healthcare work or humanitarian aid work, are injecting drugs, are travelling for medical reasons or with medical conditions requiring medical treatment whilst overseas, participating in contact sports, adopting children from intermediate/high risk countries and long-stay travel of over 1 month.   A full course of Hep B vaccines consists of 3 vaccines given at 0, 1 and 6 months.	Free if due on the NHS £40 if not due on the NHS
  Rabies	Rabies is a virus carried in animal saliva that usually spreads to humans from a bite, scratch, lick to an open wound from an infected animal (typically a dog). It can also be a risk if an animal spits and saliva gets into the eyes, mouth or nose.  A full course of rabies consists of 3 vaccines at day 0, 7 and 21 or 28 days, an accelerated schedule can be followed if needed.	£85 per dose
  Japanese Encephalitis	Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a viral infection of the brain transmitted to humans by mosquitoes in parts of Asia and the Western Pacific. The mosquitoes that transmit JE feed mostly at night, between dusk and dawn and are prolific in rural areas, where rice cultivation and pig farming are common. Although, the mosquitos may also be found in peri-urban locations. The risk for most travellers to Asia is very low, especially for short-term travellers visiting urban areas.   A course of Japanese Encephalitis consists of 2 vaccines at least 4 weeks apart.	£105 per dose

If you’re visiting a malarious area 

If you're going somewhere with malaria, we can advise you on recommended precautions, but do not prescribe anti-malarial medications. These are available from pharmacies with a Malaria service.

Book into the travel clinic

• Email our reception team at syicb-sheffield.universityhealthservice@nhs.net to request a travel health assessment form.
• Complete and return the form at least 8 weeks before your trip.
• Once we receive your form, we will contact you to schedule your initial travel consultation.
• After the consultation, you can pay for any required vaccinations online through our Online Store.

We recommend scheduling your consultation well in advance of your trip to ensure you have enough time to receive all necessary vaccinations.

Sedative prescribing for fear of flying

UHS does not prescribe sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by our GP Principles and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for this can be found below:

1. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes 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 benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and in 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 are contraindicated (not allowed)  in phobia. Your doctor is taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
5. Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of 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.

We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a number of these below.

Easy Jet Fearless Flyer Course Tel: 0203 8131644

British Airways Flying with Confidence Tel: 01252 793250

Virgin Flying without Fear Tel: 01423 714900