Vaccinations for international travel
You can get vaccinations for international travel at local community pharmacies.
Appointments for travel health services on small islands in Argyll and Bute should be booked directly with the local GP practice.
On this page
What is a travel health service?
If you are planning to travel outside the UK your travel health needs will depend on your individual situation and the following considerations:
- your general health
- where you are travelling to
- where you will be staying
- how long you will be staying
- what you will be doing throughout your trip
Lots of useful travel health information is available online at TravelHealthPro - National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). It is important that you read through the information available there, before arranging a travel consultation with the NHS Highland Travel Health Service at a community pharmacy.
Travel Health Service at community pharmacies
The NHS Highland Travel Health Service will provide you with all of the information that you require to keep yourself and your family safe. Once you have read through the online information available at TravelHealthPro, you may require an assessment, further advice and vaccinations before you travel.
See the list of community pharmacies here across Highland and Argyll and Bute that provide this specialist NHS travel health service. Please contact any of the participating community pharmacies to agree a suitable appointment for your consultation to allow them to complete a full travel risk assessment. Travel health appointments should ideally take place 8 weeks before you intend on travelling to ensure any vaccinations provided take full effect before your trip.
List of pharmacies providing travel vaccines
- Alness - Alness Pharmacy
- Alness - Well Pharmacy
- Beauly - Your Local Boots Pharmacy
- Bonar Bridge - Bonar Bridge Pharmacy
- Cardross - Cardross Pharmacy
- Conon Bridge - Conon Bridge Pharmacy
- Dingwall - Dingwall Pharmacy
- Dornoch - Mitchells Chemist
- Fort Augustus - Fort Augustus Pharmacy
- Helensburgh - Rowlands Pharmacy
- Inverness - Care Pharmacy (Cradlehall)
- Inverness - Dalneigh Pharmacy
- Inverness - Lochardil Pharmacy
- Inverness - Milton of Leys Pharmacy
- Inverness - Rowlands Pharmacy (Balloan Park)
- Inverness - Superdrug
- Kingussie - Kingussie Pharmacy
- Kyle of Lochalsh - Kyle Pharmacy
- Lairg - Amiry and Gilbride Pharmacy
- Lochgilphead - Truhealth
- Muir of Ord - Right Medicine Pharmacy
- Newtonmore - Strathspey Pharmacy
- Spean Bridge - MhorHealth Pharmacy
- Strathpeffer - Spa Pharmacy
- Tornagrain - Tornagrain Pharmacy
- Thurso - Amiry and Gilbride Pharmacy
Map of pharmacies providing travel vaccines
Best for mobile: view this interactive map in a separate browser tab or Google Maps app.
Travel vaccines provided free by the NHS
The following travel vaccines continue to be available free on the NHS to citizens living in Scotland for the purpose of travel:
- cholera
- hepatitis A
- diptheria, polio, tetanus (administered as a combined vaccine)
- typhoid
The above vaccines are free as they protect against diseases that are considered to present the greatest risk to public health if they were to be brought into the country.
What to expect when you attend the community pharmacy
Your consultation will take place in a private consultation room that is suitable for discussing your travel health needs.
A healthcare professional will:
Ask about your travel plans, including the countries you are visiting, whether you will be staying in urban or rural areas, and the time of year you are travelling.
Review your previous vaccination history. If you have a vaccination record card, please bring it with you.
Discuss your current and past medical conditions. If you have a repeat medication list, please bring it to your appointment.
Advise you on which travel vaccinations are recommended for your trip.
Explain which vaccines are available free of charge through the NHS and which require payment.
Assess whether antimalarial medication may be recommended.
Provide advice on other travel health issues and direct you to further information through a leaflet or website.
Administer any required vaccinations during the appointment where possible, or arrange a follow-up appointment if vaccines need to be ordered.
Explain possible side effects of vaccinations and how to manage them.
All NHS vaccinations provided will be recorded and entered into your GP health record.
If any vaccines are not available free of charge through the NHS, payment will be required at the time of vaccination.