Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio Vaccine

The DTP jab lasts for around 10 years. Most adults in the UK don’t get repeat boosters after adolescence, but If you’re travelling to an area where there’s a high risk of diphtheria, it’s recommended that you get another jab.

Many countries now routinely vaccinate babies ang children against these diseases, so they’re fairly rare across a lot of the developed world. However, in places where access to healthcare is limited or vaccines aren’t as widely used, infection rates are higher and people are more at risk of becoming ill.Some of the places you’ll be advised to get a DTP jab before travelling to include:- Africa- South America- Parts of Eastern Europe- Russia- Central and South East AsiaIf you aren’t sure whether or not you need a DTP booster before you fly, it’s still worth booking a travel clinic appointment with one of our practitioners who’ll be able to advise you on exactly which vaccines and treatments you need before you go.

You should book your booster jab at least 2-3 weeks before you’re due to travel so it has time to work in your body and protect you against any possible infection. If you’ve previously been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus and polio, you will only need one injection. However, if you didn’t receive any jabs as a child, you will need more than one course of treatment and will need to start these sooner than a few weeks before you fly.You should be able to contact your NHS GP for your vaccine record to check whether or not you’ll need one or more injections.