Vaccinations

BCG is the only vaccine currently available for protection against TB especially against severe forms of tuberculosis, such as tuberculous meningitis in children.

Flu is a seasonal illness that can affect previously healthy children and give rise to serious complications such as ear infections and pneumonia.

In the UK the MMR is a voluntary vaccination that is administered to children at the age of 12 months and then again at 3 to 4 years of age via an injection. Should you live in an area with a high risk of measles infection, the MMR vaccination can be given at an earlier age, as young as 6 months, or at a later age if your child was not vaccinated as an infant.

Available for girls and young women over the age of 12, the HPV vaccine can help to protect women who have never come across the virus before. HPV is the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. This vaccine consists of a course of three injections that are given over a course of a year.

Although the Meningitis vaccine has only been available for a short time, its importance in the fight against childhood meningitis has already been established. Meningitis B is an aggressive strain of bacterial meningitis which infects the lining membranes of the brain and spinal cord.

GPs offer the following vaccines, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Diphtheria.

Antimalarial drugs are the cornerstones of preventing malaria for the traveller but only one in three take it. There are a number of different options available, however some are covered by time restrictions so planning prior to departure is sometimes needed.

Some of our GPs are located at registered vaccination centres and offer a single dose vaccine. Yellow fever certificates are only available from registered vaccination centres.