In order to determine the necessary travel vaccines and medications, you must first consider the destination, as different countries present varying levels of health risks. Once you know where you’re off to, take a trip to your local Miles Pharmacy Travel Clinic to get a free consultation with one of our travel health experts. We provide travel vaccination and antimalarial services in Banstead, Sutton, and Cheam. Remember to visit a travel clinic as early as possible, at least four to six weeks before travelling. We also accept appointment requests for last-minute travel.
Here is an overview and the ultimate guide for travel vaccinations and antimalarials.
Travel Vaccinations
Depending on your destination, you may require one of the below vaccinations:
· Typhoid
· Hep A
· Hep B
· Rabies
These are just a few of the common ones, your travel health expert may recommend others if necessary.
Malaria Prevention and Anti-Malarial Medication
Follow these easy steps to prevent mosquito bites when travelling to high-risk areas for malaria and dengue fever:
· Use a mosquito net
· Avoid accommodations on the ground floor, try to get a room on a higher floor.
· Wear loose, lightweight, and long clothing that covers your skin completely (especially at night).
· Wear light colours (mosquitoes are typically attracted to dark colours).
Only sleep in rooms that have screens on the windows
· Get a room with AC and a fan. Keep the fan running on high so they have a harder time landing on you.
· Use DEET 50% mosquito repellent and reapply often (especially at dusk).
Anti-Malarial Medication
Malarone – Atovaquone/Proguanil
This is the most popular, though it is costly. It has the least side effects of all the antimalarials. Another bonus is that you only take it 1-2 days before reaching your destination.
Doxycycline
This medication is effective but can be a bit inconvenient for some travellers. The primary reason is that it causes extreme sensitivity to the sun.
Chloroquine and Proguanil
Normally taken together, the dosing regimen of these two medications is rather complicated. The only upside to these is that you can buy them in your local pharmacy without a prescription.
Antimalarials are not 100% effective, so it’s important to follow the preventative steps above to avoid getting mosquito bites.
Visit a Miles Pharmacy Travel Clinic to get advice from our trusted experts on how to keep yourself safe from diseases while travelling. Schedule your appointment today for travel vaccinations and antimalarial services in Sutton, Cheam, and Banstead.