Why Gloucester Travellers Need Pre-Travel Vaccinations
Gloucester sits within easy reach of both Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport, which between them serve direct routes to almost every part of the world UK travellers want to visit — including destinations where vaccine-preventable diseases are far more common than they are in the UK.
If you're flying to Africa, Asia, Latin America or parts of the Middle East, your risk of catching something like Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Yellow Fever or Rabies isn't theoretical. These illnesses are routinely picked up by UK travellers every year, and most of them are completely preventable with the right vaccinations given in good time.
The other thing that matters about pre-travel vaccinations is that some are legally required for entry. Yellow Fever in particular is checked at the border in many African and South American countries — without your International Certificate of Vaccination, you can be turned away on arrival. Getting this sorted before you fly isn't an optional extra; it's part of being allowed into the country.
At Gloucester Travel Clinic, our pharmacists have helped thousands of local travellers plan exactly the right vaccinations for their trip — whether that's a fortnight in Thailand, a three-month gap year across South America, or a same-week business trip to Lagos.
What to Expect at Your Travel Health Consultation
A travel health consultation isn't a five-minute "what jab do you want?" conversation — it's a proper risk assessment based on the latest NaTHNaC (National Travel Health Network and Centre) and TravelHealthPro guidance, which is what every accredited UK travel clinic uses.
When you book in with us at Brookfield Pharmacy or Hucclecote Pharmacy, here's what the appointment looks like:
- Itinerary review — we go through every country and region you'll be visiting, in the order you'll visit them. Risk in northern Thailand is different from risk on Koh Samui; rural Tanzania is different from a Zanzibar resort.
- Health and vaccine history check — we look at routine UK vaccines (DTP, MMR, COVID, flu) and any previous travel vaccines you've had, so we don't recommend boosters you don't need.
- Personal risk factors — pregnancy, chronic conditions, immunocompromise, age and the activities you'll be doing (volunteering, cycling, diving, working with animals) all change the recommendations.
- A clear plan — at the end you leave with a written list of recommended vaccinations, their costs, a schedule showing when each one needs to be given, and whether you need to come back for boosters.
Most consultations take 20–30 minutes, and if you're happy to proceed, we can usually start vaccinating you in the same appointment.
The Full Range of Vaccines We Offer
As a fully equipped Gloucester travel clinic, we stock and administer every vaccine a UK traveller is likely to need. Our pharmacists are independent prescribers, which means you don't need a GP referral — we can assess and vaccinate in one visit.
Travel-specific vaccines we offer:
- Yellow Fever — we are a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and can issue the official International Certificate of Vaccination (the "yellow card")
- Hepatitis A and combined Hepatitis A + B (Twinrix)
- Hepatitis B (standard and accelerated schedules)
- Typhoid (injection)
- Rabies pre-exposure (standard and accelerated three-dose schedules)
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Meningitis ACWY (also required for Hajj and Umrah)
- Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE)
- Cholera (oral, Dukoral)
- Chikungunya and Dengue (where clinically appropriate)
Routine UK vaccines we can top up:
- DTP boosters (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio) — these only last about 10 years
- MMR — measles is still circulating in many destinations
- Chickenpox, Shingles, MMR, Whooping Cough and Hayfever injections via our wellness vaccinations service
Antimalarials:
We also prescribe and dispense Malarone, Doxycycline and Mefloquine depending on your destination and personal medical history. See our antimalarials service page for the full comparison.
NHS vs Private Travel Vaccinations: What's Covered?
One of the most common questions we get from Gloucester patients is: "What do I have to pay for, and what's free on the NHS?"
The rule of thumb is that the NHS covers travel vaccines where the disease also poses a wider UK public health risk if it returns with you. Everything else is private.
Generally available free on the NHS through your GP:
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Cholera
- Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio (DTP) boosters
Always private (not covered by the NHS):
- Yellow Fever
- Rabies
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Tick-borne Encephalitis
- Meningitis ACWY (for travel — separate from the routine teenage dose)
- Hepatitis B (for travel)
In practice, even where a vaccine is "free on the NHS in principle", many Gloucester GP surgeries don't have the appointments, the stock, or the in-house travel health expertise to deliver it in time for your trip. That's where a dedicated travel clinic earns its place — we keep the stock, we have the same-week appointments, and we do this all day, every day.
If you're trying to decide whether to go private, the honest answer is: if your trip is more than 6 weeks away and your GP can book you in for the free vaccines, that's a perfectly good option. If your trip is sooner, or you need any of the private-only vaccines anyway, it usually makes sense to do everything in one visit with us.
Pricing, Bookings & Walk-Ins
We publish transparent per-vaccine pricing and we don't charge a separate "consultation fee" on top — the risk assessment is included when you book in for vaccinations.
How to book:
- Online via our booking page — usually the fastest way and shows live availability
- By phone to either Brookfield Pharmacy or Hucclecote Pharmacy
- Walk-in — we can often see you the same day if stock is available, but for Yellow Fever and other specialist vaccines, booking ahead avoids disappointment
Same-day vaccinations: for the most commonly requested vaccines (Hep A, Typhoid, Tetanus boosters, MMR), we usually have stock on hand and can vaccinate on the day. For specialist vaccines like Rabies or Japanese Encephalitis, give us 24–48 hours' notice so we can confirm stock.
Best time to book: we recommend booking your travel health consultation 6–8 weeks before departure. Some vaccines (Rabies, Hep B, JE) need multiple doses spread over several weeks to give you full immunity, and Yellow Fever needs to be given at least 10 days before arrival in an endemic country for the certificate to be valid.
That said — if your trip is sooner, please still get in touch. Many vaccines can be given much closer to departure, and a partial schedule is almost always better than nothing.
Our Two Hucclecote Locations
Gloucester Travel Clinic operates from two sister pharmacies, both just off the A417 in Hucclecote, with free parking and easy access from across Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds.
- Brookfield Pharmacy — 5 Brookfield Road, Hucclecote, GL3 3HA. Our larger clinic with a dedicated consultation room.
- Hucclecote Pharmacy — 7 Glenville Parade, Hucclecote, GL3 3ES. A short walk from Brookfield, with extended opening hours.
Both pharmacies are pharmacist-led travel clinics with the same range of vaccines, the same prices, and the same standard of consultation. Choose whichever is more convenient — and if one is booked up, we'll usually offer you the other.
We see travellers from across Gloucestershire — Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cheltenham, Cirencester, the Forest of Dean — as well as nearby Bristol, Worcester and Hereford. There's no catchment area; if you can get to Hucclecote, we can see you.
Book Your Consultation
Whether you're planning a long-haul once-in-a-lifetime trip or a last-minute business flight, the right starting point is a proper risk assessment with a qualified travel health pharmacist.
Book your appointment at Gloucester Travel Clinic today:
- Brookfield Pharmacy, 5 Brookfield Road, Hucclecote, GL3 3HA
- Hucclecote Pharmacy, 7 Glenville Parade, Hucclecote, GL3 3ES
Or book online via our appointments page and we'll get you sorted before you fly.