international travel vaccination centre sydney

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Travelling overseas? Book your vaccination appointment online now

What is your destination find out what vaccinations you need, vaccination, simply the best travel insurance, you'll ever buy.

Travelling well for Holidays, visiting Friends and Relatives, Business travel or adventure travel all need individual care and advice to your itinerary.

International Travel Vaccination Centre (ITVC) is well established Travel Vaccination Centre with 15 years experience is .

Yellow Fever Accredited vaccination Centre Our centre also provide all Travel vaccinations individually catered depending on your nature of your travel arrangement . We provide full travel vaccination services and advice.

Our Travel doctors are specialized in Travel heath and Travel vaccination advice hold Certificate of Travel Health of ISTM (international Society of Travel Medicine) .

Our Travel vaccination centre is also part of Large Network of Travel doctors around Australia known as TMA (Travel Medical Alliance) . www.travelmedicine.com.au The ITVC centre provides all vaccination service and Malaria prophylaxis medications at the same time of consultation.

Doctor’s consultation attract Medicare rebate Vaccination charges attract rebate from Private Health Fund if applicable.

Opening Hours:

CBD Mon to Friday 9am to 5pm, Monday & Thursday opened till 6.30 pm Saturdays services are available with request.

Our Travel Vaccination Clinic provides all your travel vaccination like:

Please fill out the form below or call us on 1300 661 067

Yellow Fever Vaccination Accredited Centre

All Travel Vaccination

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Whooping Cough
• Flu vaccination
• Malaria Advice
• Altitude advice
• Travel Health Checklist
• Things To Do
• Insect & Animal Bites
• Accidental Injuries
• Travel Accessories

Travelling to the Rio 2016 Olympics?

Click here for all your Brazil vaccination information.

CBD Sydney Location

135 Macquarie Street Suite 603, Level 6 Sydney New 2000

Hills District Location

12 Century Circuit Bella Vista

Free Carpark - Enter via Norwest Blvd (look for restaurant sign)

Western Division Location

8 Sydney Joseph drive Seven Hills

Free Carpark

Get in touch with one of our Dr's and find out what Vaccinations you need!

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Destinations

• South America
• Indian sub-continent
• South East Asia

To contact us please call us on 1300 661 067

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We specialise in healthy travel medicine for a patient’s specific itinerary.

EXPERIENCED DOCTORS

Highly skilled, qualified and experienced doctors & health professionals.

About our Clinic

The travel vaccination clinic is a full-service medical clinic. our experienced doctors have a special interest in travel medicine to meet every patient’s particular itinerary..

We have the experience to help you enjoy a healthy trip. There is a difference in going to a medical clinic that only specializes in travel medicine. At Travel Vaccination Clinic we have the facilities to provide the care needed to help you ensure that your trip is enjoyable and reduce your risk of avoidable diseases. We are located at 229 Macquarie St Sydney Level 10. Consultation charge ranges from $95 to $160 depending on time taken. If you have a current Medicare Card then Medicare refunds about 1/2 of the consultation costs. Vaccine prices range from $50 to $185 depending on type of vaccine. If you are covered by private health for vaccines most funds partly refund vaccine costs. For any information please call 92312964.

We are open 7 days a week by appointment only and have same day appointments upon request. Vaccinations are done at time of consultation. Our health team also specialise in corporate ( work ) travel health.  All vaccines are immediately in stock and available at our clinic when you arrive.

As Featured On ABC Radio, March 2018

As featured on abc radio 2016, book your appointment now, instant confirmation., popular destinations: read our travel & vaccinations guides.

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Suite 1004, Level 10, 229 Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000 (opposite Sydney Hospital)

Call Us Now 02 9231 2964

Email [email protected]

Welcome to the Sydney clinic

For a Safe and Healthy Journey, talk to the experts in travel medicine. Conveniently situated in the heart of the Sydney’s CBD, our clinic services the vast requirements of all types of travellers. Our comprehensive travel medicine services include travel health consultations, travel vaccinations, region specific travel health advice and education and post-travel assistance with our experienced and dedicated travel doctors and nursing team. The corporate division of our travel health clinic offers a wide variety of medicals including altitude, pre-deployment medical assessments, overseas visa assessments, and post-travel medical services. Our company has over 30 years’ experience providing advice and support to travellers. We offer prescribed medications relevant to your destination and itinerary and have developed traveller’s kits containing the essentials to keep you healthy at your destination. Well-known and respected in our field, Travel Doctor-TMVC have all the latest information in regards to disease outbreaks and concerns which could affect you on your travels. We offer relevant and accurate advice before, and after your trip to assist in keeping you healthy and happy.

Our Address

Level 16, 60 Margaret St, Sydney New South Wales 2000

Opening Hours

Public transport and parking.

We are conveniently situated on Level 16, 60 Margaret Street, with Sonic HealthPlus Sydney. We are within short walking distance from Wynyard Station. The best way to come into our Sydney CBD medical centre is to walk or, travel by public transport (bus, ferry, train or tram). For those driving, there is paid parking buildings available with Secure Parking at the Met Centre on George Street..

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Suite 1, Ground Floor 55-67 Hindmarsh Square Adelaide SA 5000

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Suite 14, Lena Karmel Lodge 1 Childers Lane Canberra ACT 2601

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22 Smith Street Darwin NT 800

215 Spring Street Melbourne VIC 3000

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Wodonga West Medical Clinic 60-62 Waratah Way Wodonga VIC 3690

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28 Cranbourne Road (PO Box 889) Frankston VIC 3199

M15 Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct 3 Southgate Avenue Southbank VIC 3006

• Western Australia

Level 1 847 Hay Street Perth WA 6000

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Level 16, 60 Margaret St, Sydney NSW 2000

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241 Queen St Campbelltown NSW 2560

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Vaccinations

• Avian Influenza
• BCG Tuberculosis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Tetanus and Diphtheria
• Tick Borne Encephalitis
• Yellow Fever
• Urine Drug Test CDT Blood Alcohol For Family Court Orders Will Be Performed
• COVID-19 Astra Zeneca Vaccine

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Travel health advice.

• Avoiding accidental injuries while travelling
• Tips for preventing insect and animal bites
• Food safety when travelling

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Call Us: 1300 55 70 70

Visit our Travel Vaccination Clinic in the Sydney CBD

At our Sydney vaccination clinic we offer travel health advice with each appointment and help you identify the best vaccinations and health preparations for your holiday. Most vaccinations are available and will be delivered during your consultation. We operate longer hours on Mondays and Thursdays for your convenience and appointments are available on Saturdays by request.

Suite 1002, Level 10

37 Bligh Street

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OPENING HOURS

Tues, Wed & Fri: 9am to 5pm

Mon & Thurs: 9am to 6:30pm

Saturdays on request.

CALL: 1300 55 70 70

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Suite 603, Level 6, 135-137 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 2000

Baulkum Hills

12 Century Circuit, Suite 501 Level 5, Bella Vista Baulkham Hills - Onsite Parking Available

Western City

8 Sydney Joseph Drive, Seven Hills - Onsite Parking Available

Call us: 1300 55 70 70

Office Relocation

Notice Due to compulsory Acquisition of 37 Bligh street by Metro Development ITVC(International Travel Vaccination Centre) now relocated to: Suite 603 Level 6 BMA House 135-137 Macquarie street Sydney NSW 2000 Tel 1300557070 City location meter parking available and parking station close by

• 1300 360 164

George St Medical Centre

Welcome to george st medical centre.

We service the Sydney community when it comes to quality travel health and advice! We provide tailor made solutions based on your travel destination/s and itinerary. Whether your trekking through Nepal with your partner, holidaying in Bali with your mates or spectating a football match in Brazil with your work colleagues, our travel consultants provide the best personalised travel advice to keep you, your family and your friends healthy and safe on your trip.

We can get you vaccinated for common diseases including Yellow Fever , Polio and Influenza as well as provide you must-have travel accessories including first aid kits . We look forward to seeing you at George St Medical Centre soon!

Our Services

• Provision of vaccinations, including Yellow Fever
• Preparation of documentation for carrying medication overseas
• Personalised vaccination booklets
• Travel health information
• Preventative and treatment medications
• Travel accessories

Lower Ground, 333 George Street, Sydney New South Wales 2000

Opening Hours

Mon - Thurs 8:30 - 17:30

Fri 8:30 - 16:00

Closed Sat and Sun

Travelvax Hours

By appointment 

Entry is in Wynyard Street near Regimental Square 

At Martin Place turn right after HSBC just after the light rail stop

No parking on-site

Parking stations in the city are very expensive 

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International Travel Vaccination Centre

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37 Bligh St

Suite 1002, Level 10

Sydney New South Wales 2000

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• About the Handbook

Vaccination for international travellers

Ensure that travellers are up to date with routine vaccines. Also consider other vaccines based on travel itinerary, activities and risk of disease exposure.

Recently added

This page was added on  09 June 2018 .

Updates made

This page was updated on 23 October 2023 .  View history of updates

Millions of Australians travel overseas every year. More than half of these trips are to destinations other than New Zealand, North America and Europe. 1

This page helps with making decisions about travel vaccines. Also check the disease-specific chapters in this Handbook for details about specific vaccines.

See also Infographic. Vaccination for international travellers .

Health risks of overseas travel

Health risks associated with international travel include exposure to:

• infective agents
• altitude and temperature extremes
• other physical, psychological and environmental hazards
• poor-quality or limited access to clean water, shelter, hygiene and sanitation facilities, and health and medical care

The level of health risks depends on factors such as:

• the traveller’s underlying physical and mental health and physiological state
• the itinerary and activities undertaken
• the duration of exposure to various hazards during travel

Travellers at increased risk of serious travel-associated infections include:

• young children and infants
• pregnant women
• people with underlying medical conditions, especially immunocompromising conditions due to disease or medical treatment
• people spending extended periods in multiple regions with poor resources or in remote areas
• people participating in events where large numbers of people will gather, such as major sporting, cultural, social or religious events
• migrant families travelling back to their region of origin to visit friends and relatives

Those travelling to visit friends and relatives are more likely to: 2

• have closer contact with local populations
• stay in remote or rural areas
• consume higher-risk food and beverages

Those travelling to visit friends and relatives are less likely to: 2,3

• recognise the health risks associated with travelling
• seek pre-travel health advice
• obtain the recommended vaccines or prophylaxis

Common infections acquired by travellers

Exposure to infectious diseases is one of the many health hazards of international travel. Some of these diseases are vaccine preventable. Although some of these diseases are present in Australia, the risk of acquiring them overseas may be higher because of:

• higher disease incidence in other countries
• increased risk of exposure from participating in certain activities while travelling

Foodborne and waterborne infections

It is common for travellers to ingest contaminated food or beverages, resulting in an illness. 4-6  Practicing safe eating and drinking habits is essential to minimise the risk of contracting food and waterborne diseases while travelling. These include treating water or only drinking bottled water, avoiding undercooked meat, and avoiding raw fruit and vegetables (unless they can be peeled or washed in safe water prior to eating). Most infections are diarrhoeal diseases due to enteric pathogens, but some are due to extra-intestinal microorganisms, such as hepatitis A virus and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (causing typhoid).

Vaccines are available against hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera.

Vector-borne infections

Insect-borne — especially mosquito-borne — infections, such as malaria and dengue, are important causes of fever in Australian travellers returning from endemic areas, particularly Southeast Asia and Oceania. 4,6

A dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia) is available for the prevention of secondary dengue infections (not primary prevention of initial dengue infection ) in select individuals. See Clinical advice: ATAGI statement on use of Dengvaxia® for Australians .

Japanese encephalitis occurs throughout much of Asia and the Western Pacific region, including eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. 7 Yellow fever occurs only in parts of Africa and South America, 8 and tick-borne encephalitis occurs in parts of Europe and Asia. 9

Vaccines are available against Japanese encephalitis , yellow fever and tick-borne encephalitis .

Some other vector-borne diseases and parasitic (including protozoal and helminthic) diseases are also important for international travellers. Some are preventable through appropriate barrier precautions and chemoprophylaxis (for example, malaria). 9

Aerosol-borne infections

Vaccine-preventable infections transmitted by aerosols and/or droplets include: 9

• influenza (the most common vaccine-preventable infection among travellers) 10
• meningococcal disease
• varicella (chickenpox)

The incidence of measles and mumps is higher in many overseas countries, including some developed countries, than in Australia.

Tuberculosis is a rare infection in travellers. 11 Expatriates who live in endemic areas for a long time are more likely to acquire tuberculosis than short-term visitors. 12

Vaccines are available against all of these diseases.

Bloodborne and sexually transmitted infections

Some Australian travellers may be at risk from bloodborne and sexually transmissible infections, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. In some areas, healthcare workers using non-sterile medical equipment or other poor infection control practices may transmit these viruses and other bloodborne agents.

Vaccines are available against hepatitis B.

Exotic infectious agents

Travellers may be exposed to a variety of other exotic infections, such as:

• rabies from bites or scratches from rabid dogs, bats and other mammals in many countries
• schistosomiasis from exposure to water infested with the parasites, especially in Africa
• leptospirosis through activities such as rafting or wading in contaminated streams

Of these diseases, vaccines are available only against rabies.

Recommending travel vaccines

Although recommending appropriate vaccines is important, it is not the only part of a pre-travel medical consultation. Travel vaccines — those relevant for travelling — include all relevant vaccines, not just the ones that prevent diseases that most commonly occur overseas.

Do not recommend a vaccine based only on the destination country, because there is no single ‘correct’ list of vaccines for travel to any particular country.

There are 3 categories of travel vaccines:

• routinely recommended vaccines (not specific to travelling overseas)
• selected vaccines based on travel itinerary, activities and likely risk of disease exposure
• vaccines required by the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) or for entry into specific countries

Questions for a pre-travel medical consultation

During a pre-travel medical consultation, ask questions about the traveller’s:

• personal information, including age and whether they are pregnant or planning pregnancy
• underlying medical conditions, particularly immunocompromising conditions, and current medicines
• vaccination history (including adverse events following immunisation) and allergy history
• purpose of travel and intended activities, especially those associated with various environmental risks and hazards
• plans for travel insurance

Also ask about their itinerary in detail, including:

• date of departure and time available for vaccinations
• specific localities and routes
• rural versus urban stay
• duration of stay
• likely access to health care and other services
• likelihood of changing the planned itinerary

This information helps to tailor recommendations about preventive vaccination or chemoprophylaxis for exposure risks during the proposed trip. It also allows the clinician to advise about other appropriate preventive health measures (for example, food and water precautions, avoiding bites from mosquitoes or other arthropods) and about managing possible health conditions during travel.

Organisational requirements for vaccination

Some overseas organisations, such as schools, colleges and universities, require evidence of vaccination or immunity against some vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and meningococcal disease. Consider these requirements when planning and scheduling vaccines before departure.

Routinely recommended vaccines (not specific to travelling overseas)

Vaccinate all prospective travellers according to the recommended vaccination schedule appropriate for their age, underlying health conditions, occupation and lifestyle. Vaccines might include, for example, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine for an older person, or hepatitis B vaccine for a first aid officer. 

Also ensure that all children are vaccinated according to the National Immunisation Program schedule. In exceptional circumstances, give the National Immunisation Program vaccines at the minimum age rather than the recommended age (see Table. Minimum acceptable age for the 1st dose of scheduled vaccines in infants in special circumstances ). Children vaccinated using the minimum age rather than the recommended age may need extra vaccine doses to ensure adequate protection. Observe the minimum interval requirements between doses (see Table. Minimum acceptable dose intervals for children <10 years of age ). The chances of being exposed to some diseases, such as measles and mumps, may be greater during overseas travel, even to other developed countries.

For some itineraries, it may be appropriate for the traveller to receive some booster doses earlier than the routine recommended time. An example may be diphtheria-tetanus booster.

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis

Vaccinate adult travellers against tetanus before departure, particularly if:

• their risk of sustaining a tetanus-prone wound is high
• there could be delays in accessing health services where they can receive tetanus toxoid boosters safely, if required

Offer dTpa vaccine during a pre-travel consultation if the traveller has never received a dose of dTpa . This provides protection against pertussis (see Pertussis ). 

For high-risk travel, consider giving a booster dose of either dTpa or dT vaccine if more than 5 years have passed (see Tetanus ).

Hepatitis B

Most Australian children born since 2000 have been vaccinated against hepatitis B under the National Immunisation Program or state and territory school-based vaccination programs.

Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for long-term or frequent travellers to regions of intermediate or high endemicity of hepatitis B, including:

• Central and South America

This is because travellers may be exposed to hepatitis B virus through bloodborne routes (including during emergency medical or dental procedures) or sexual routes. According to 1 survey, about half of Australian travellers who spent at least 3 nights in Southeast or East Asia participated in at least 1 activity that had a risk of hepatitis B transmission. 13

See also Hepatitis B .

Influenza and pneumococcal disease

Older travellers and those with any relevant underlying medical or behavioural risk factors should receive pneumococcal vaccine. See Pneumococcal disease for more details.

Consider influenza vaccine for all travellers, especially if they are travelling to a region during its influenza season. Influenza vaccine is particularly relevant if:

• there is an influenza epidemic at the traveller’s destination
• the person is travelling in a large tourist group, especially one that includes older people
• the person is travelling on cruises, where people are relatively confined for days to weeks

See also Influenza. 

Measles, mumps and rubella

Inadequately vaccinated young adult travellers are responsible for most current measles outbreaks in Australia. This occurs when they acquire the infection overseas and bring it back to Australia. Some countries, regions or communities — including developed countries — have a higher incidence of measles and mumps than Australia. 9

Australians born during or since 1966 who have not received the recommended 2 doses of MMR (measles-mumps-rubella)–containing vaccines are recommended to receive MMR vaccine before travelling. This also applies to infants 6–12 months old travelling to areas with measles outbreaks or where measles is endemic . The exception is for pregnant women, because MMR is a live vaccine and is contraindicated in pregnancy. 

People born before 1966 do not need to receive measles-containing vaccine (unless serological evidence indicates that they are not immune). This is because circulating measles virus and disease were prevalent before 1966, so most people would have acquired immunity from natural infection .

However, confirmed cases of measles have occurred in people born before 1966. 14 If in doubt about a person’s immunity, it may be faster and easier to vaccinate the person than conduct serological testing . See Serological testing for immunity to measles . 

See also Measles . 

Unvaccinated travellers are recommended to receive varicella vaccine if they either:

• have not had clinical disease, or
• have an uncertain history of clinical disease and serology shows a lack of immunity 

The exception is for pregnant women, because varicella vaccine is a live vaccine and is contraindicated in pregnancy.

See also Varicella .

Meningococcal disease

Vaccination against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W-135, Y and B is recommended for certain age and population groups who are at increased risk of meningococcal disease.

In addition, MenACWY (quadrivalent meningococcal) vaccine is recommended for people who are:

• planning travel to, or living in, parts of the world where epidemics of serogroup A, C, W-135 or Y meningococcal disease occur, particularly the ‘meningitis belt’ of sub-Saharan Africa 15
• planning travel to mass gatherings, such as pilgrims travelling to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia

Seek up-to-date epidemiological information to determine whether a traveller needs meningococcal vaccination. See Accessing up-to-date travel information.

The Saudi Arabian authorities require that all pilgrims travelling to Mecca (for the Hajj or Umra) have evidence of recent vaccination with the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine. 16  See Requirements for travellers to Mecca and Accessing up-to-date travel information .

See also Meningococcal disease .

Poliomyelitis

Ensure that all travellers are age-appropriately vaccinated against polio (see Poliomyelitis ).

If the person is travelling to a country where wild poliovirus is still circulating, they should receive inactivated poliovirus ( IPV ) vaccine if they have not completed a 3-dose primary course of any polio vaccine. Travellers who have completed the primary course should receive a single booster dose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Polio Eradication Initiative website website has an up-to-date list of polio-affected countries.

Documented evidence of polio vaccination is not routinely required for travellers under the International Health Regulations. However, documented evidence of vaccination may be temporarily required according to WHO recommendations in response to new evidence of the spread of wild poliovirus (see Vaccines required by the International Health Regulations or for entry into specific countries and Documentation and certificates ).

International polio epidemiology and associated travel requirements can change. Check the Australian Government Department of Health website for current recommendations for Australian travellers .

Ensure that all travellers are age-appropriately vaccinated against COVID-19. Foreign governments may require evidence of COVID-19 vaccination before a traveller is allowed to enter. The Australian-issued International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate is a secure way to prove COVID-19 vaccination history that has been developed to meet agreed international travel standards. Parents and carers of children <14 years of age, adolescents ≥14 years of age and adults can get a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination certificate at any time:

• using their Medicare online account through myGov
• through the Medicare Express Plus mobile app
• by calling 1800 653 809 (free call)

See also COVID-19 .

Vaccines based on travel itinerary, activities and likely risk of disease exposure

Use a risk assessment approach when recommending travel vaccines. Weigh the potential risks of disease exposure and protective benefits from vaccination against potential adverse effects, and the non-financial and financial costs of vaccination.

Prioritise vaccines for diseases that are:

• common and of significant impact, such as influenza and hepatitis A
• less common, but have severe potential adverse outcomes, such as Japanese encephalitis and rabies

Consider booster doses, where appropriate (see disease-specific chapters in this Handbook for recommendations). If the person is departing for travel soon, consider an accelerated schedule, if appropriate, such as for hepatitis B vaccine or the combination hepatitis A-hepatitis B vaccine (see Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B ). Although immunity may be established sooner with the accelerated schedule, people who receive an accelerated schedule need another dose about a year later to complete the course and ensure long-term protection.

Most travellers do not need cholera vaccine. 16,17  The risk of a traveller acquiring cholera is very low if they avoid contaminated food and water.

No country requires travellers to have certification of cholera vaccination. No country has official entry requirements for cholera vaccination

See also Cholera .

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all travellers ≥1 year of age travelling to moderately or highly endemic countries (including all developing countries). The exceptions are people who have evidence of natural immunity after previous infection .

Normal human immunoglobulin is no longer used to protect travellers against hepatitis A.

See also Hepatitis A .

Japanese encephalitis

While now considered an emerging disease in Australia, Japanese Encephalitis is more likely in travellers to endemic regions overseas. 18 Japanese encephalitis ( JE ) vaccine is recommended for travellers spending a month or more in endemic areas in Asia, Papua New Guinea or the outer islands of Torres Strait during the JE virus transmission season.

Consider JE vaccination for shorter-term travellers, particularly if:

• travel is during the wet season 
• travel may be repeated
• the person will spend a lot of time outdoors 
• the person’s accommodation has no air-conditioning, screens or bed nets

Check a reputable source before travel for information about JE virus activity — for example, Health Information for International Travel (the ‘Yellow Book’) . 19

A traveller’s overall risk of acquiring JE in these JE - endemic countries is likely to be low (<1 case per 1 million travellers). Determine the specific risk according to the: 17

• season of travel
• regions visited 
• duration of travel
• extent of outdoor activity
• extent to which the person avoids mosquito bites 

See also Japanese encephalitis .

Before travel to rabies- endemic regions, advise people about:

• the risk of rabies infection
• avoiding close contact with wild, stray and domestic animals — especially dogs, cats, monkeys and bats 
• the importance of appropriate immediate wound care of all animal bites and scratches 

See also Rabies and other lyssaviruses, including Australian bat lyssavirus .

Recommendations for rabies vaccination as pre-exposure prophylaxis

When deciding whether to give a pre-travel prophylactic rabies vaccination, assess the:

• likelihood of exposure to potentially rabid animals
• access to appropriate health care and availability of post-exposure prophylaxis , including rabies immunoglobulin , should there be an at-risk exposure
• timeliness of access to health care after exposure

Use a lower threshold for recommending rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis for children travelling to endemic areas.

Benefits of vaccination as pre-exposure prophylaxis

Pre-travel rabies vaccination:

• ensures that the traveller has received a safe and efficacious vaccine
• simplifies the management of a subsequent exposure because the person will need fewer doses of vaccine
• means that rabies immunoglobulin — which is often extremely expensive, and difficult or even impossible to obtain in many developing countries — is not needed
• reduces the urgency of post-exposure prophylaxis

Tick-borne encephalitis

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by a tick-borne RNA flavivirus. The disease may involve the central nervous system. TBE is prevalent in parts of central and northern European temperate regions, and across northern Asia. Travellers are at risk when hiking or camping in forested areas in endemic regions during the summer months.

Safe and effective vaccines are available. Vaccination is recommended only for people with a high risk of exposure.

TBE vaccine is not registered in Australia, but a small stock of vaccine may be available for use under the Special Access Scheme .

Tuberculosis

Vaccination with BCG (bacille Calmette–Guérin) vaccine is generally recommended for tuberculin-negative children <5 years of age who will be staying in high-risk countries for an extended period (3 months or longer).

Vaccinating older children and adults appears to be less beneficial. However, consider vaccinating tuberculin-negative children aged ≥5 years but <16 years who may be living or travelling for long periods in high-risk countries.

A high-risk country is one that has a tuberculosis incidence of >40 per 100,000 population.

For travellers who need BCG vaccine, consider the following precautions when scheduling their vaccination visits:

• If possible, give BCG vaccine at least 3 months before the person will arrive in an endemic area.
• Give other live viral vaccines (for example, MMR , varicella, yellow fever) at the same time or with a minimum 4-week interval after BCG vaccination.
• A tuberculin skin test (TST; Mantoux), performed by trained and accredited healthcare practitioners, is recommended before receiving BCG vaccine for all individuals (except infants aged <6 months).
• People may suppress reactions to tuberculin for 4–6 weeks after viral infections or live viral vaccines, particularly measles infection and measles-containing vaccines.

State and territory tuberculosis services can provide tuberculin skin tests and BCG vaccine.

See also Tuberculosis .

Typhoid vaccine may be recommended for travellers ≥2 years of age travelling to endemic regions, including: 

• the Indian subcontinent
• most Southeast Asian countries 
• several South Pacific nations, including Papua New Guinea 

This advice is also relevant for those travelling to endemic regions to visit friends and relatives.

Inactivated parenteral and live oral typhoid vaccine formulations are available.

See also Typhoid fever .

Yellow fever

Yellow fever vaccine is recommended for all people ≥9 months of age travelling to, or living in, an area with a risk of yellow fever virus transmission. 20

To minimise the risk of introducing yellow fever, some countries require documented evidence of yellow fever vaccination for entry, in line with the International Health Regulations (see Vaccines required by the International Health Regulations or for entry into specific countries ).

When assessing the need for yellow fever vaccination, consider:

• the risk of the person being infected with yellow fever virus
• country entry requirements
• individual factors such as age, pregnancy and underlying medical conditions 

Vaccination is generally not recommended for travel to areas with a low probability of yellow fever virus exposure — that is: 

• where human yellow fever cases have never been reported 
• where evidence suggests only low levels of yellow fever virus transmission in the past 

However, consider vaccination for a small subset of travellers to lower-risk areas who are at increased risk of exposure to mosquitoes or who are unable to avoid mosquito bites. 20

People aged ≥60 years are at increased risk of severe adverse events after primary yellow fever vaccination. Weigh the adverse effects of vaccinating people in this age group against the potential for yellow fever virus exposure and, in turn, the benefits of vaccination. 17

See also Yellow fever .

Booster doses

Most people do not need a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine. A single dose induces protective antibody levels that last for many decades. However, certain people are recommended to receive a booster if their last dose was more than 10 years ago and they are at ongoing risk of yellow fever virus infection . See Yellow fever .

Vaccines required by the International Health Regulations or for entry into specific countries

Yellow fever requirements.

The International Health Regulations require yellow fever vaccination for travelling in certain circumstances. This is to:

• protect travellers who are likely to be exposed to yellow fever 
• stop importation of the virus into countries that have the relevant vectors (see Yellow fever ).

Some countries may require documented evidence of yellow fever vaccination as a condition of entry or exit (see Planning and documenting vaccines ). This includes countries that do not currently have yellow fever circulating.

Australia’s yellow fever travel requirements are detailed in the Australian Government Department of Health’s yellow fever fact sheet .

Contact the relevant embassies or consulates in Australia to confirm the entry requirements for yellow fever vaccination for the countries a traveller intends to enter or transit through. 

Requirements for travellers to Mecca

Each year, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health publishes the requirements and recommendations for entry visas for travellers on pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj and Umra). 16

For pilgrims travelling directly from Australia, only evidence of MenACWY vaccination is currently mandatory. However, check the current requirements when advising prospective Hajj and Umra pilgrims (see Meningococcal disease and Accessing up-to-date travel information ).

Temporary requirements

The International Health Regulations may temporarily introduce requirements for other vaccine-preventable diseases in response to changes in disease epidemiology that are of international health concern. An example is for polio vaccination.

Because country vaccination requirements are subject to change at any time, confirm all current vaccination requirements for the countries a traveller intends to enter or transit through before travel. See Poliomyelitis and Accessing up-to-date travel information .

Planning and documenting vaccines

Ideally, start vaccination courses early enough before departure to allow:

• monitoring of any possible adverse events 
• time for adequate immunity to develop

Requirements for multiple vaccines

A traveller may need multiple vaccines before they depart. Apply the standard recommendations and precautions when giving multiple vaccines (see Administration of vaccines ).

A traveller may need more than 1 clinic visit if they need multiple vaccines or doses (for example, rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis or hepatitis B vaccine). Pay special attention to scheduling of these visits, and consider:

• dose interval precautions (for example, for multiple live vaccines)
• requirements for pre-vaccination tests (for example, tuberculin skin test)
• potential interference by some antimalarials, if relevant (for example, rabies vaccine)

Documentation and certificates

It is important to document travel vaccines: 

• in the clinic’s record
• in the traveller’s record that they can carry with them 
• on the Australian Immunisation Register

The record should also include all the other routinely recommended vaccines that the traveller has ever received. 

For yellow fever vaccination, a traveller needs to have an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), which only Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres can provide under the International Health Regulations (see Yellow fever ). 

Travellers may also need an ICVP for other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, based on temporary recommendations.

See also Accessing up-to-date travel information .

Vaccinating travellers with special risk factors

See Vaccination for women who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding , Vaccination for people who are immunocompromised and the disease-specific chapters in this Handbook for recommendations for travellers who are pregnant or immunocompromised.

Accessing up-to-date travel information

International travellers’ health risks constantly change. Up-to-date information, and knowledge of the changing epidemiology and current outbreaks of infectious and emerging diseases are essential. Reliable online information sources include:

• World Health Organization (WHO) for disease outbreak news, and its Travel and health section for specific advice on travel and health, including travel vaccination recommendations
• Travelers’ health , United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Travel health information , Australian Government Department of Health
• Smartraveller , the Australian Government’s travel advisory and consular information service, which provides up-to-date advice about health, safety and other risks of specific destinations for Australian travellers

The following resources have comprehensive technical advice on international travel and health, including vaccination:

• the latest edition of WHO’s International travel and health
• the CDC’s Health Information for International Travel (the ‘Yellow Book’)
• Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3401.0 – Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia, Mar 2018 (accessed May 2018). 
• Paudel P, Raina C, Zwar N, et al. Risk activities and pre-travel health seeking practices of notified cases of imported infectious diseases in Australia. Journal of Travel Medicine 2017;24(5):tax044.
• Heywood AE, Watkins RE, Iamsirithaworn S, Nilvarangkul K, MacIntyre CR. A cross-sectional study of pre-travel health-seeking practices among travelers departing Sydney and Bangkok airports. BMC Public Health 2012;12:321.
• Chen LH, Leder K, Barbre KA, et al. Business travel-associated illness: a GeoSentinel analysis. Journal of Travel Medicine 2018;25.
• Angelo KM, Kozarsky PE, Ryan ET, Chen LH, Sotir MJ. What proportion of international travellers acquire a travel-related illness? A review of the literature. Journal of Travel Medicine 2017;24.
• Freedman DO, Weld LH, Kozarsky PE, et al. Spectrum of disease and relation to place of exposure among ill returned travelers. New England Journal of Medicine 2006;354:119-30.
• Halstead SB, Hills SL, Dubischar K. Japanese encephalitis vaccines. In: Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA, Offit PA, Edwards KM, eds. Plotkin's vaccines. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018.
• Staples JE , Monath TP, Gershman MD, Barrett AD. Yellow fever vaccines. In: Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA, Offit PA, Edwards KM, eds. Plotkin's vaccines. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018.
• World Health Organization (WHO). Chapter 6: Vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccines . In: International travel and health. Geneva: WHO; 2017. 
• Steffen R. Travel vaccine preventable diseases-updated logarithmic scale with monthly incidence rates. Journal of Travel Medicine 2018;25.
• Denholm JT, Thevarajan I. Tuberculosis and the traveller: evaluating and reducing risk through travel consultation. Journal of Travel Medicine 2016;23.
• Lachish T, Tenenboim S, Schwartz E. 35 - Humanitarian Aid Workers. In: Keystone JS, Kozarsky PE, Connor BA, et al., eds. Travel Medicine (Fourth Edition). London: Elsevier; 2019. (Accessed 6 July 2023). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323546966000355
• Leggat PA, Zwar NA, Hudson BJ. Hepatitis B risks and immunisation coverage amongst Australians travelling to Southeast Asia and East Asia. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2009;7:344-9.
• Winkler NE, Dey A, Quinn HE, et al. Australian vaccine preventable disease epidemiological review series: measles, 2012-2019. Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2022;46.
• World Health Organization (WHO). Epidemic meningitis control in countries of the African meningitis belt, 2017. Weekly Epidemiological Record 2018;93:173-84.
• World Health Organization (WHO). International travel and health: health conditions for travellers to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) . 2017 (accessed May 2018). 
• Freedman DO, Chen LH. Vaccines for International Travel. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2019;94:2314-39.
• Furuya-Kanamori L, Gyawali N, Mills DJ, et al. The Emergence of Japanese Encephalitis in Australia and the Implications for a Vaccination Strategy. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022;7.
• Hills SL, Rabe IB, Fischer M. Infectious diseases related to travel: Japanese encephalitis . In: CDC yellow book 2018: health information for international travel. New York: Oxford University Press; 2017. 
• World Health Organization (WHO). International travel and health (accessed Apr 2018). 

Page history

Minor updates to clinical guidance around routinely recommended vaccines (not specific to travelling overseas), including the addition of advice regarding COVID-19.

Editorial update to reflect changes to pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for older adults and people with medical risk factors.

Guidance on vaccination of travellers against measles, mumps and rubella updated to reflect advice in the Measles chapter.

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Acknowledgement

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

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Fully vaccinated international travellers get Sydney green light

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet says passengers with proof of vaccination and negative COVID-19 test won’t need to quarantine.

Sydney will open up to fully vaccinated international travellers from November 1 without the need for quarantine, the leader of the country’s most populous state said on Friday, bringing forward a full return of overseas travel.

Australia closed its borders in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, allowing entry almost exclusively to citizens and permanent residents who have been required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.

Keep reading

Sydney exits lockdown as australia gears up to ‘live with’ covid, sydney rushes to vaccinate as delta variant tears through suburbs, australian capital enters lockdown as sydney tightens covid curbs.

“We need to rejoin the world. We can’t live here in hermit kingdom. We’ve got to open up,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier this month overseas travel would return once 80 percent of people in a particular state were fully vaccinated, but would be available initially for Australians and would require home quarantine.

In NSW, the number of people fully vaccinated has already reached 77.8 percent, while 91.4 percent have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, Perrottet said it was time to open up to help revive the economy, which has been badly damaged by the state’s near four-month COVID-19 lockdown.

“Hotel quarantine, home quarantine is a thing of the past, we are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world,” he said.

Perrottet said those arriving into Sydney will first have to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding a plane to Australia, he said.

Morrison’s office was not immediately available to comment on the New South Wales plan.

The removal of quarantine requirements will aid international travel into Australia and is likely to be welcomed by the tens of thousands of Australians who have been stranded overseas as a result of the policy. There have also been strict quotas on the number of places available to returning travellers in hotel quarantine.

NSW reported 399 COVID-19 cases on Friday, well down from the state’s pandemic high of 1,599 in early September. Nationally, cases stood at 2,578.

Neighbouring Victoria state, where vaccination rates are lower, reported 2,179 new locally acquired cases, down from a record 2,297 a day earlier.

Meanwhile, Canberra, the national capital, on Friday ended its more than two-month lockdown, allowing cafes, pubs and gyms to reopen with strict social distancing rules.

The country’s overall coronavirus numbers are still relatively low, with some 139,000 cases and 1,506 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Association, which represents the country’s doctors, on Friday warned its modelling showed the country’s health system will not be able to cope with an influx of coronavirus patients after the country reopens.

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COVID-19 vaccine passports: When international borders open, how will global travel work?

Parked outside a Croatian hostel having driven all the way from Sweden, Edmond Faddilsson struggles to list all the countries he's visited on a rampaging post-vaccine tour of Europe.

"I need to count them," he says.

"Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Bosnia, Montenegro.

"I'm addicted to travel, actually."

Over Zoom, the Swede holds up the laminated A4 "vaccination pass" that he presents to border guards when he enters a country.

Titled the "EU Digital COVID Certificate", this simple document has let him breeze through checkpoints that would have otherwise turned him away or required quarantine.

Since being issued the pass in late July, he's barely stopped travelling, relishing the freedom of movement after a long period of staying home.

He plans to visit 26 countries over a few weeks.

International quarantine-free travel like Edmond's may seem impossibly distant for many Australians right now, but it's slowly on its way.

At some point, enough people will be vaccinated for the borders to reopen.

When that hurdle is cleared, there'll be another: proving to destination countries that you are, in fact, vaccinated.

This will require international vaccine passports. 

Here's how they might work.

A patchwork of destinations and vaccine passports

In recent weeks, we've heard a lot about domestic vaccine passports  that would allow vaccinated Australians greater freedoms.

From a technical perspective, such passports are relatively simple. 

Services Australia has already negotiated a deal with Apple and Google to allow iPhone and Android digital wallets that show Australians' COVID-19 vaccination records from their MyGov accounts.

Vaccine passports for international travel, however, are far more complicated.

They require national governments to work together and trust each other; to recognise each other's systems and standards.

And if the pandemic and national border closures has taught us anything, it's the difficulty of international cooperation.

Matt Warren, director of the RMIT Centre of Cyber Security Research and Innovation, has been thinking about what the resumption of global travel may look like for Australians.

At first, the international departures board at our airports will be a fairly sparse offering of destinations.

"This isn't going to be a time when we can just travel anywhere," he said.

"We're going to be constrained by the fact we can only travel to countries where there's a bilateral agreement to accept the vaccine passport information from each country."

At the top of the list will be countries with high vaccination rates. This rules out many developing countries; just 1.1 per cent of people living in low income countries have received one dose of a COVID vaccine .

On top of this, the destination country will need to have a vaccine certification system that the Australian government can trust.

As a result, the first flights will be to a predictable list of wealthy countries, which will probably have their own vaccine passport requirements. They may even have a separate passport for travel within the country. 

You may require one vaccine passport for the airline itself, one for customs on arrival, and another to access the cafes and museums.

"In an ideal world, it should be a smooth process," Professor Warren said.

"The reality is, that's not going to happen. There isn't going to be one global system at the moment."

An exercise in international trust and confidence

Because there's no global system, there's no common standard for certifying whether or not someone is vaccinated.

This matters when it comes time for the Australian government to negotiate two-way travel agreements.

For example, if Australians want to travel to Spain for the northern summer of 2022, the Australian government will have to strike a deal with the European Union.

To do this, it has to be confident that the Europeans who may travel to Australia have, in fact, been vaccinated.

"Would you trust a government on the other side of the world to add the correct ledger information to a person's record?" Professor Warren said.

"The technology is there to make it happen. The problem you have is the implementation of it, and this is where the real-world human aspects start to become an issue."

There are already reports of EU Digital COVID Certificates being faked.

US government investigators have also reported seizing hundreds of counterfeit Centers for Disease Control or CDC cards on a nightly basis.

CDC cards are issued to Americans as proof of vaccination status and have been used by US travellers as vaccine passports to enter places such as Europe, Canada and the UK.

Likewise, the Australian COVID-19 vaccination certificate has proved easy to fake  (though admittedly it's not designed for international travel).

Expect vaccine passport systems to be scrutinised for vulnerabilities and loopholes, Professor Warren said.

"The problem you have is with any technology, you're going to have people who are going to try to find weaknesses in that technology," he said.

"Particularly from the anti-vaxxer movement, who want to travel but don't want to have the vaccine."

What's Australia doing?

In July, following discussions with world leaders at the G7 summit, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said an "internationally recognised" vaccine certificate would be available to Australians by October.

A Fairfax-Nine report earlier this month said the federal government backed a QR code vaccine certificate for quarantine-free international travel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.

Though we aren't able to confirm the details of Australia's international vaccine passport, it's a pretty good bet it will feature a QR code.

Back in May, the OECD (an organisation of developed economies, of which Australia is a member)  proposed a QR-code-based system for international vaccine passports.

Qantas has also trialled a vaccine passport system, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Travel Pass, which uses QR codes linked to passenger COVID-19 lab results and vaccination records.

The IATA Travel Pass has also been trialled by several other major airlines that fly to Australia, such as Singapore Airlines and Emirates.

Some experts say the system could become the defacto international vaccine passport for Australians.

Dave Parry, a professor of computer science at the University of Auckland, said the aviation industry was leading the effort to develop a standard system that would facilitate international travel.

"From the airline's point of view, they really want it to happen because it's one standard, which is great for them," he said.

"The airlines are fined if they take anybody who isn't allowed to travel.

"They want to verify in advance that if they allow you onto the plane, you will be allowed off at the other end."

How do vaccine passports work?

Let's take the IATA Travel Pass as an example.

The system would work by establishing an international network of trusted vaccine providers and COVID-19 testing labs.

These providers access IATA software to log the identity and details of people receiving the vaccine or getting a COVID-19 test (and upload the details of those who have already received the vaccine).

Once logged in, the provider generates a QR code, which the passenger scans using the IATA Travel Pass app on their phone.

The app then informs the passenger about their destination's health requirements. If they need a recent negative COVID-19 test result, for example, it provides a list of trusted labs.

Once they meet the health requirements, they're issued an "OK to travel" credential. 

When checking in for their flight, the passenger uses their phone to share this credential.

The advantage of this approach is a person's sensitive data about vaccine status and test results is not stored on a centralised airline database, but is encrypted on their personal device.

The airline knows nothing about a passenger's health status other than that a trusted third party has verified they can fly.

"We don't need to actually send the information about which particular vaccine you had," Professor Parry said.

"We just need to show that when we ask your national system, it says, 'yes, this person is valid'."

Can the passports be faked?

For a person to cheat such a system, they would have to either find an IATA trusted vaccine provider willing to register them as vaccinated, or corrupt the national immunisation register.

The fact that this is possible means that, once again, governments will have to trust each other.

And this is where many governments may falter, experts say.

Professor Parry believes some will want their own vaccine passport systems that gather more information about arrivals than the IATA Travel Pass does.

"That means sharing a lot of your medical information with foreign governments, which you may not want to do," he said.

Governments may even demand travellers use tracking apps, he added.

"There'll be more invasive apps, where they say we really want to track where you are, we really want more information about you, and that's the price of being allowed to come into our country."

Professor Warren agreed.

"As well as your COVID passport data, they would want your biometric data to allow tracking of foreign individuals in these countries.

"That is a slow erosion of people's privacy, because you have no ownership over that data, you don't know how it's going to be used."

Taiwan, for example, has been tracking people's locations via their mobile devices while under home quarantine.

For the moment, however, these bleak scenarios are all speculation.

Quarantine-free international travel is resuming in an ad hoc way, and without onerous conditions.

There are weekly announcements of new two-way travel agreements between countries: Canadians with vaccine passports can now travel quarantine-free to Italy, while Japanese with vaccine passports can travel quarantine-free to Germany.

Can I use my vaccine certificate to travel abroad?

Until Australia launches its own international vaccine passport, Australians will rely on the Australian COVID-19 digital certificate, which is automatically generated after a patient has been vaccinated in Australia.

It's not yet clear if this can be used as a pass for travelling abroad.

EU regulations say member states can accept third-country certificates to grant quarantine-free travel across borders.

Aside from the certificate, there's the separate issue of whether a country will recognise the type of vaccine.

The Australian-manufactured version of AstraZeneca, rebranded "Vaxzevria", has not yet been recognised by the European Medicines Agency.

That could present a problem for some Australians when they travel to Europe.

In the US, only three COVID-19 vaccines are authorised for use, including Pfizer, but not AstraZeneca. Australians can enter subject to proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test, though.

When international tourism resumes, expect flights from Australia to be cheap, said Tony Webber, a former Qantas chief economist who is now an associate professor at the University of Sydney.

"You might see pricing heavily discounted to get people back into air travel."

But that won't last: the airlines will pump up the prices.

"Over the medium term, they will need to recover the profits they've lost over last two years," Dr Webber said.

International travel with COVID-19 won't be simple or cheap, but, after recent years, few will be taking it for granted.

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International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

The International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate is a free and secure means of proving your COVID-19 immunisation history when you travel across borders overseas.

The easiest way to get a certificate is by using your Medicare account through myGov , or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app .  Go to Services Australia for further details.

If you can’t use these options, visit a Services Australia services centre or contact the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) on 1800 653 809. 

To get a certificate, you’ll need to have your passport with you .

• How the international certificate works
• Eligibility
• How to get an international certificate
• Using your international certificate overseas
• Leaving and entering Australia