A travel vaccines checklist works best when you open it months before check-in, not the week you pack. Several vaccines need more than one dose, and your body takes time to build protection after each one. Work through the five steps below, jot down your answers, and bring them along when you come in for travel vaccinations at Abermain Chemist.
Key Takeaways
- Start 6 to 12 weeks ahead; a late start is still worth making.
- No country has one fixed vaccine list: your route, activities and health decide it.
- Routine vaccines such as measles and influenza belong on the list too.
- Travel vaccines are generally not free, and yellow fever needs a special centre.
Step 1: Start the clock early
Healthdirect advises seeing a health professional at least 6 weeks, and preferably 12 weeks, before you leave Australia. That window matters for two reasons. A multi-dose course, such as rabies pre-exposure doses or hepatitis B, can mean more than one clinic visit before departure. Starting early also leaves time to watch for any reaction and for immunity to develop.
Booked a last-minute trip? Still get checked, and ask which doses can realistically be finished before your flight.
Step 2: Write down where you are going and what you will do
The Australian Immunisation Handbook is blunt: there is no single correct list of vaccines for travel to any particular country. Two people visiting the same nation can need different advice. Before your appointment, note:
- every country and region on your route, including stopovers
- your departure date and how long you will stay
- city hotels or rural villages, and your likely access to health care
- planned activities, such as hiking, cruising, volunteering or caring for animals
- the season at each stop
- pregnancy or plans for pregnancy, any health conditions, the medicines you take, and allergies
Then read the Smartraveller travel health advice. Each destination page has a Health heading covering the key risks for that country.
Step 3: Check which vaccines you already have
You may be further along than you think. The Australian Immunisation Register holds vaccines from childhood, school programs and private doses such as earlier travel shots. According to the Department of Health, you can view it through Medicare in myGov, in the myGov app, or by calling 1800 653 809.
Look closely at the routine vaccines, because travel raises the odds of meeting diseases that are uncommon here:
- Measles protection: anyone born in 1966 or later who has missed either of the two recommended MMR doses should catch up before leaving. The Handbook notes that under-vaccinated young adult travellers cause most current measles outbreaks in Australia.
- Tetanus boosters: for high-risk travel, a booster is worth considering if more than 5 years have passed since your last dose.
- Influenza: the most common vaccine-preventable disease caught by travellers, according to the Australian Government. A current flu vaccine matters most for cruises and trips during another country’s flu season.
Got your route and your immunisation record ready? Call us to check a pharmacist immuniser is available, then bring both in.
Step 4: Match the vaccines to your trip
With your itinerary and record side by side, work out which extra protection your trip calls for. This table summarises when each vaccine becomes relevant, based on the Handbook’s advice for international travellers and the Government’s immunisation for travel page.
| Vaccine | When it tends to come up | Minimum age at our pharmacy |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Parts of India, Africa, Asia, South and Central America and the Middle East with poor sanitation | 5 years |
| Hepatitis B | Long-term or frequent travel to Central and South America, Africa, Asia or Oceania | 5 years |
| Japanese encephalitis | Much of Asia and the Western Pacific, including eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea | 5 years |
| Meningococcal ACWY | Mandatory evidence for Hajj pilgrims leaving from Australia | 5 years |
| Typhoid | Ask the pharmacist about your route | 5 years for the injection, 6 for oral capsules |
| Rabies | Pre-exposure doses before contact with animals | 5 years, pre-exposure only and not for immunocompromised people |
| Polio | Boosters, plus temporary proof of vaccination for some countries | 5 years |
| Yellow fever | Parts of Africa and South America; some countries demand proof on entry | Not given here: Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres only |
The ages in the last column come from the NSW pharmacist vaccination standard. Children under 5 need a GP or travel clinic for these vaccines.
Step 5: Sort the paperwork, costs and medicines
Budget for your shots. The Department of Health states that vaccines recommended for travel or work are not free, so ring us to check costs for your list. Carry a written record of every dose with you, and download an updated statement once your course is done. Yellow fever proof is different: only an approved centre can issue the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis that border officials check.
Smartraveller’s health checklist before you go adds a few items that sit alongside vaccines:
- buy travel insurance, because Medicare and the PBS do not work overseas
- take enough of your regular medicine for the whole trip, and check it is legal at each destination
- pack a small first aid kit with insect repellent and SPF 30 to 50+ sunscreen
Pregnant, travelling with a weakened immune system, or heading somewhere with malaria? Book a GP visit as well. Some live vaccines are not given in pregnancy, and Smartraveller suggests asking your doctor how to guard against insect-borne illnesses such as malaria. If you feel unwell after you get home, get medical advice or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. In an emergency, call 000.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have several travel vaccines at one visit?
Often, yes. Some combinations need spacing, such as two live vaccines, and certain antimalarials can interfere with rabies vaccine. That is why sharing your full plan up front helps the pharmacist schedule each dose.
I had travel shots years ago. Am I still covered?
Not necessarily. Healthdirect notes that immunity to some diseases reduces with time, so a booster could be due even if you were vaccinated before.
What side effects should I expect?
Common ones are fever, headache, and redness, pain or tenderness where the needle went in. They are generally minor and pass within a few days. To report a reaction, call the Adverse Medicine Events Line on 1300 633 424.
Checklist done? Bring your route, dates and vaccine record to 193 Cessnock Rd on a weekday, or phone first so we can have a pharmacist immuniser ready.