Same-week appointments for the oral Dukoral® cholera vaccine at Ready Health. Clinician-led travel consultations, tailored to your destination and itinerary — with protection valid for up to two years.
Cholera is an acute bacterial infection of the small intestine caused by Vibrio cholerae. It spreads through contaminated water and food and can cause severe, watery diarrhoea that leads to life-threatening dehydration within hours if untreated.
Although cholera is not found in the UK, the World Health Organization currently classes the global cholera risk as very high, with 60 countries reporting cases in 2024 — up from 45 in 2023 — driven by conflict, climate shocks, and gaps in clean water infrastructure.
At Ready Health, our pharmacist-led travel clinic in Standish offers Dukoral®, the licensed oral cholera vaccine. A short course completed before departure gives you reassurance and is strongly recommended if you're visiting remote or outbreak-affected regions, working in humanitarian aid, or are particularly vulnerable to gastrointestinal illness.
Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease spread through unsafe water and contaminated food. Up to 80% of infections are mild or asymptomatic, but severe cases cause profuse watery diarrhoea ("rice-water stools") that can quickly lead to dangerous dehydration.
Cholera is most common in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and Haiti. Tap any highlighted country for the latest situation and travel advice. Data updated from WHO and UK Health Security Agency surveillance, 2026.
Two oral cholera vaccines are licensed in the United Kingdom: Dukoral® and Vaxchora®. Both work by stimulating a protective immune response in the lining of the gut. At Ready Health we offer Dukoral, the most widely used option for UK travellers.
Inactivated oral cholera vaccine · Valneva UK
| Age licensed | 2 years and above |
|---|---|
| Course (adults & 6+) | 2 doses, 1–6 weeks apart |
| Course (2–5 years) | 3 doses, 1–6 weeks apart |
| Format | Liquid with effervescent buffer powder, drunk as a single mixture |
| Onset of protection | ~1 week after final dose |
| Duration | Up to 2 years (adults); 6 months (age 2–5) |
| Booster | Single dose within 2 years; full course repeated if beyond |
Live attenuated single-dose oral vaccine · Bavarian Nordic
| Age licensed | 2 years and above |
|---|---|
| Course | 1 single oral dose |
| Format | Reconstituted oral suspension |
| Onset of protection | ~10 days after dose |
| Duration | Protection demonstrated up to ~6 months |
| Use case | Time-pressured travellers preferring a single-dose option |
| Notes | Supply is limited across the UK; Dukoral remains the primary option at Ready Health |
For most short-stay tourists in well-resourced hotels, the risk of cholera is very low and vaccination is not routinely recommended. Consider vaccination if any of the following apply to your trip:
Travelling to an area where a cholera outbreak is occurring or likely, often in crowded settings with limited clean water.
Visiting rural or remote areas of endemic countries, especially where medical care is limited and food or water safety cannot be guaranteed.
Staying for an extended period in basic accommodation, backpacking, volunteering or working in affected regions.
Those with reduced stomach acid, taking acid-suppressing medication, with inflammatory bowel disease, or who are immunocompromised.
Children are at greater risk of severe dehydration from cholera. Dukoral is licensed from age 2 with a suitable 3-dose paediatric schedule.
Our travel-trained pharmacist will review your destination, itinerary and medical history to recommend the right vaccines for your trip.
The oral Dukoral vaccine is straightforward to take and well tolerated. Here's what to expect from booking to protection.
At least 2 weeks before departure. Our team will assess your trip and confirm whether cholera vaccination is right for you.
Taken as a drink on an empty stomach. Avoid food, drink and other oral medicines for 1 hour before and after.
At least 1 week (and no more than 6 weeks) after dose 1. Children aged 2–5 receive a third dose on the same schedule.
Protection begins about 1 week after your final dose and lasts up to 2 years in adults. Keep your vaccination record with your travel documents.
Vaccination is one layer of protection. Good food and water hygiene remain essential whenever you're travelling in an area where cholera or other diarrhoeal illnesses are a risk.
Seek urgent medical attention if you develop these symptoms during or after travel to an affected region.
Choose a date and time that works for you. Appointments typically last 20 minutes and include a short travel consultation. If you can't see a time that suits, call us on 01257 676 001.
£65 for the full adult 2-dose course · Free 10-minute advice call for multi-person bookings
Everything you need to know before booking. Can't find what you're looking for? Call 01257 676 001 and speak to a pharmacist.
The Dukoral® oral cholera vaccine costs £65 for the full 2-dose adult course (covering adults and children aged 6 and over). Children aged 2 to 5 require a 3-dose course — please call us for the paediatric course price.
Start your course at least 2 weeks before departure. The two doses are given a minimum of 1 week apart, and full protection begins approximately 1 week after the second dose. If you're travelling sooner, call us — in many cases we can still fit you in.
For adults and children aged 6 and over, a completed 2-dose course provides protection for up to 2 years. For children aged 2 to 5, protection lasts around 6 months. A single booster dose restores protection if given within those windows; if longer has passed, the full course is repeated.
Dukoral is an oral vaccine. The effervescent powder is dissolved in about 150 ml of cool water, then mixed with the contents of the Dukoral vial and drunk within 2 hours. You must avoid food, drink and other oral medicines for 1 hour before and 1 hour after taking the vaccine, because food increases stomach acid and may reduce effectiveness.
Dukoral is generally well tolerated. The most commonly reported side effects are mild gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, loose stools, nausea or cramps, which typically settle within a day or two. Serious reactions are rare. Our pharmacist will discuss side effects and contraindications at your consultation.
There is no evidence of harm from Dukoral during pregnancy, but each case must be assessed individually. We'll weigh the risk of travel, likely cholera exposure and the benefits of vaccination together with you at consultation. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, please tell us when you book.
Dukoral is licensed from age 2. Children aged 2–5 receive 3 doses at intervals of 1 to 6 weeks, with half the buffer solution used per dose. Children aged 6 and over follow the standard 2-dose adult schedule. Young children are particularly vulnerable to severe dehydration from cholera, so vaccination is worth considering for family travel to higher-risk regions.
Vaxchora® is a single-dose live oral cholera vaccine licensed in the UK, but supply is limited. Most UK travel clinics — including Ready Health — primarily use Dukoral, which is the best-established option and suitable for the vast majority of travellers. If you specifically need a single-dose option, call us to check current availability.
Cholera is most often reported in sub-Saharan Africa (notably Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi), parts of South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar), the Middle East (Yemen, Syria), and the Caribbean (Haiti). Use our interactive map above for a current overview, and we'll tailor recommendations at consultation.
The cholera vaccine is available free on the NHS only for people at high occupational risk — for example, aid workers or disaster relief staff travelling to active outbreak areas. For most leisure, business or family travellers, cholera vaccination is private. Ready Health offers the full 2-dose adult course for £65 without a long wait.
Depending on where you're going, other commonly recommended vaccines include hepatitis A, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, meningitis ACWY and tetanus. We'll review your full itinerary at consultation and give a tailored plan. See our Travel Clinic page for the full list.
Our Standish pharmacy is easy to reach from Wigan, Chorley, Bolton and the wider North West. Book online or give us a call — we'll take care of the rest.