Before you fly
Travel vaccinations
Tell us where you are going and when. We work backwards from your flight and sort out what you actually need.
At a glance
| Start | 6 to 8 weeks before you fly |
|---|---|
| Bring | Itinerary and vaccination history |
| Yellow fever | Referred to an approved centre |
| Consult | Walk in or book a time |
Start six to eight weeks out
Some travel vaccinations are a single injection. Others are a course spread over weeks, and nearly all of them need time to take effect before you land. Six to eight weeks before departure gives you room. Two weeks is tight but far from hopeless, so come in regardless and we will do what can still be done properly.
Bring your full itinerary, stopovers included, and whatever you have recording past vaccinations. We work your route against current Australian government travel health advice and tell you three separate things: what is required for entry, what is recommended for your risk, and what is genuinely optional. Those get blurred a lot, and they are not the same.
The diseases worth planning for
We talk about protection against diseases, not products. Which of these applies depends on your destination and your trip.
| Disease | How it spreads | Typically relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Contaminated food and water | Most of Southeast Asia, the subcontinent, Africa, Central and South America |
| Typhoid | Contaminated food and water | South and Southeast Asia especially; needs about two weeks to take effect |
| Hepatitis B | Blood and body fluids | Longer stays, medical or dental treatment abroad, some work travel |
| Japanese encephalitis | Mosquito bites | Rural or extended stays in parts of Asia and the Torres Strait |
| Rabies | Animal bites and scratches | Longer trips, rural areas, cycling and trekking, working with animals |
| Cholera | Contaminated water | Limited situations; we will tell you honestly if it is not warranted |
| Yellow fever | Mosquito bites | Parts of Africa and South America. Certificate required; approved centres only |
| Measles, tetanus, polio | Various | Routine protection that lapses. Worth checking before any trip |
Yellow fever is the one we cannot do. It has to be given at an approved centre so your international certificate is valid, and it must be at least ten days before you arrive. Airlines can and do refuse boarding without it. If your route needs one, we will tell you early and point you to a centre.
The unglamorous half of travel health
Vaccination is only part of it. In the same conversation we will cover traveller's diarrhoea and what is actually worth packing, mosquito protection that works rather than what smells nice, motion sickness, altitude if you are heading up, and how to carry prescription medicines through customs without trouble. Some countries treat ordinary Australian medicines as controlled, which is worth knowing before you are at the border.
There is no vaccine against malaria. Where your route carries a risk, prevention means tablets plus bite avoidance, and we can talk through the options and work with your prescriber on a script.
Talking to us
You do not need an appointment to start. Walk in any day we are open and ask for the pharmacist. If your itinerary warrants a proper sit-down, we will book you a time in the consultation room so it is not done over the counter in five minutes.
Most of our travel consultations are people from Annandale, Leichhardt, Rozelle and Camperdown heading to Southeast Asia, the Pacific or South America. Ring us on (02) 9660 1276 and tell us where and when.
Where this information comes from
General guidance on this page follows the Australian Immunisation Handbook, published by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advisory service.
- Australian Immunisation Handbook, at immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au
- Smartraveller travel health advice, at smartraveller.gov.au
Destination requirements change, sometimes at short notice. Nothing here replaces a consultation about your specific itinerary and health history.
Common questions
Travel Vaccinations: questions we get asked
How far ahead should I come in?
Six to eight weeks is comfortable, because some courses run over weeks and even single doses need around two weeks to take effect. If you are flying sooner, come in anyway. Single-dose options often still make sense and there is almost always something useful we can do.
Which vaccinations will I need?
It depends entirely on where you are going, how long for, what you will be doing and what you have had before. Hepatitis A and typhoid come up most often for Southeast Asia and the subcontinent. Rabies matters for longer or rural trips. We map your route against current government advice rather than working from a generic list.
Can you give yellow fever vaccination?
No. Yellow fever must be given at an approved centre so that your international certificate is valid, and you need it at least ten days before you arrive. Airlines can refuse boarding without the certificate. We will tell you whether your route requires it and refer you on.
Are travel vaccinations free?
Almost never. They sit outside the National Immunisation Program, so you pay for them. Routine boosters that have lapsed, such as measles or tetanus, may be free depending on your age and history. We will quote you the full cost before anything is ordered.
What about malaria tablets?
There is no vaccine against malaria, so prevention is tablets plus avoiding bites. We can talk through the options for your route and work with your prescriber where a script is needed.
Can you check my routine vaccinations at the same time?
Yes, and it is worth doing. Measles, tetanus and polio protection all lapse, and being overseas is exactly when a gap matters. We can look at your immunisation history statement with you.
Do I need an appointment?
Not to start the conversation. Walk in and ask for the pharmacist. If your itinerary needs a proper sit-down, we will book you a time in the consultation room.
Open 7 days
Walk in and ask for the pharmacist
Corner of Johnston and Booth Street, Annandale. Pharmacists available 7 days a week.