Travel Medicine & Vaccines

At Friendship Square Medical, we provide travel health advice and vaccinations to help you prepare for overseas travel.

Whether you are planning a family holiday, business trip, backpacking adventure, volunteer placement, cruise, pilgrimage or extended stay overseas, it is worth seeking advice before you travel. Your recommended vaccines and health precautions will depend on where you are going, how long you are travelling for, your activities, your age, your medical history and your previous immunisations.

How we can help

Our travel medicine services include:

  • Pre-travel health consultations

  • Travel vaccination advice

  • Routine vaccine review before travel

  • Hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines

  • Typhoid vaccination

  • Cholera vaccination, where appropriate

  • Japanese encephalitis vaccination, where appropriate

  • Rabies pre-exposure vaccination, where appropriate

  • Meningococcal vaccination for selected travellers

  • Yellow fever vaccination advice and referral where required

  • Malaria prevention advice

  • Traveller’s diarrhoea advice

  • Advice about food and water safety

  • Insect bite prevention

  • Altitude sickness advice

  • Jet lag, sleep and travel medication advice

  • Travel advice for children, older travellers and pregnant travellers

  • Advice for travellers with chronic medical conditions

  • Travel letters and medication planning where appropriate

When should I book a travel consultation?

It is best to book your travel appointment 6 to 12 weeks before departure. This allows time to complete vaccine courses, arrange any additional doses, and give your body time to develop protection. The Australian Government recommends consulting your doctor or a travel health clinic 6 to 12 weeks before leaving Australia.

Even if you are travelling sooner, an appointment can still be worthwhile. Some vaccines, medications and practical precautions may still be helpful close to departure.

Which vaccines do I need?

There is no single vaccine list that applies to every traveller. Your GP will consider your destination, itinerary, accommodation, planned activities, length of travel, previous vaccines and personal health risks.

Some travellers may only need routine vaccines checked and updated, such as influenza, COVID-19, tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella or chickenpox. Others may need destination-specific vaccines, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, meningococcal or yellow fever. Healthdirect lists these as examples of vaccines that may be needed before travel, depending on the destination and individual circumstances.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook also recommends that all prospective travellers be vaccinated according to the routine schedule appropriate for their age, health conditions, occupation and lifestyle, as well as considering travel-specific vaccines.

Yellow fever

Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination, and Australia also has certificate requirements for some travellers returning from yellow fever risk countries. In Victoria, yellow fever vaccination must be given by an approved yellow fever vaccination centre, and the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is valid for life, beginning 10 days after vaccination.

Our GPs can discuss whether yellow fever vaccination may be relevant to your trip and refer you to an authorised yellow fever vaccination centre if required.

Malaria and insect-borne illness

Some destinations have a risk of malaria or other insect-borne illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika or Japanese encephalitis.

Depending on your itinerary, your GP may discuss malaria prevention tablets, insect repellent, clothing, mosquito nets, accommodation choices and other practical steps to reduce your risk.

Staying well while travelling

Travel health is about more than vaccines. Your GP can also provide advice about:

  • Food and water safety

  • Traveller’s diarrhoea

  • Managing regular medications while overseas

  • Travel insurance and medical documentation

  • Deep vein thrombosis risk on long flights

  • Sun protection and heat illness

  • Animal bites and rabies risk

  • Safe sex and STI prevention

  • Accessing medical care overseas

Smartraveller recommends checking travel advice for your destination and taking steps to reduce your health risks before you go.

Book an appointment

To discuss travel medicine or vaccines, please book an appointment with one of our GPs.

A travel consultation usually requires a longer appointment, especially if you are visiting multiple countries, travelling with children, have complex medical conditions, are pregnant, or need several vaccines. Please bring your itinerary, vaccine records, Medicare card and details of any regular medications.