Travel Medicine
All of our Travel Clinic staff are trained Travel Medicine Specialists and members of the Travel Medicine Society of Ireland so you can be assured that you are receiving only the best care and travel advice.
Our rigorous protocols ensure that you are provided with the most detailed travel information possible to ensure you have the safest trip possible.
This includes the administration of required vaccinations but also advice on insect-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and others, air travel safety, skin cancer prevention, food and water safety and personal safety tips while abroad.
In conjunction with the Travel Medicine Society of Ireland we ensure that our travel advice is relevant and tailored to your itinerary.
We have access to worldwide travel alerts so can give up-to-the-minute advice on health risks in your destinations.
We can't promise the vaccines will be completely pain-free but compared to 2 weeks of Gastro bug, bringing home Hepatitis B, Malaria or some other unwanted souvenir, we would choose vaccination.
What will it cost?
We know that Travel Vaccinations are an expensive addition to an already expensive trip, so we aim to provide the most cost-effective service to you.
We offer discounts for couples who attend together for a shared consultation and rates for group consults are available on request.
Vaccines are priced individually, and prices can change from time-to-time depending on the supplier.
Which vaccines will I need?
Vaccine requirements vary depending on several factors including previous vaccination history, destination, planned activities etc so it is not always possible to give a simple answer to this question.
Commonly needed vaccines for travel to certain parts of Asia, Africa and America include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus and Diphtheria.
Hepatitis B vaccines are advised for travellers staying away for a month or more in some areas.
Rabies vaccines may be required if you will be staying or trekking in remote or jungle areas in some countries or working with animals.
Rabies and Hepatitis B vaccines both require a course of 3 injections at intervals over the course of 28 days, so it makes sense to get your vaccinations earlier rather than later.
Depending on the Travel Alerts in operation at the time of your travel and on the countries, you intend to visit, other vaccines may be required.
Our Travel Clinic staff will ensure that you are made aware of all relevant alerts and advise you of the recommended vaccines.
When to book?
There is no harm in having your vaccines well in advance as vaccination provides years of immunity, but it could cost you dearly to not leave enough time to get covered.
For most short-stay trips with simple itineraries (e.g. 2 weeks in one country), ensuring you have your vaccines at least 2 weeks before travel may be sufficient.
However, long stays and trips where you visit a few countries - particularly higher-risk countries - are likely to require courses of vaccines so it is best to book your travel consultation a few months in advance if unsure.
A Travel Consultation will take a minimum of 30 minutes so please allow enough time in your day for this when booking.
Our Admin staff will ensure that we allow enough time to be as thorough as possible.
How to book?
Book your Travel Vaccinations now. Follow this link, complete the form and we'll do the rest.
Compulsory Vaccines
Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever is the only compulsory vaccine, without which you can be refused entry into about 44 African and Latin American countries.
Galway Bay Medical Centre is a Registered Yellow Fever Centre and can provide certification to persons who need this vaccine and receive it from our doctors.
Please note the Yellow Fever certificate only becomes valid ten days after you receive the vaccination.
Non-Compulsory Vaccines
All other vaccines such as Hepatitis A & Typhoid, for example, while important for your safety during travel to many destinations in Asia, Africa and Latin America are recommended but not compulsory.
Our Travel Clinic team will advise you of the risks of infection and of the potential consequences should you contract any of the diseases associated. You can decline vaccination if you wish.
We would strongly suggest that you DO get vaccinated, but we trust that you are old enough and bold enough to make up your own mind on that score.
Common risks when traveling
Dengue Fever
For many travellers to South-east Asia, the Pacific and South America, the disease you are most likely to contract is Dengue Fever which has exploded in incidence recently, now affecting over 100 tropical and subtropical countries.
The vaccine is unavailable in Ireland but there are ways to reduce your risk of exposure.
Rabies
Rabies has a fatality rate of approximately 100% for those who get infected and don't seek medical help.
Bali and Vietnam are among numerous popular tourist destinations to have seen marked surges in rabies cases. 95% of human deaths occur in the Indian subcontinent, Asia and Africa.
A course of Rabies vaccine is expensive but compared to the alternative, may turn out to be the best money you'll ever spend.
Rabies infection is a particularly nasty way to die.
Malaria
In 2015, 3.2 billion people (half of the world's population) were at risk of malaria. 95 countries are affected, with the bulk of cases in sub-Saharan Africa. There is no vaccine yet that will protect you from Malaria, but anti-malaria medication and common sense will go a long way.
Other risks:
Protection from some of the bigger risks when abroad cannot be provided by vaccination alone.
For example, road traffic accidents and unprotected sexual contact are the main sources of infection with diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV. In these cases, expert advice and awareness can be as valuable as an injection.
Some leisure activities which would not give you a second thought when at home can be very risky when abroad, for example: Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) is a common consequence of swimming in stagnant lakes and showering in lakeside lodges.
80% of infection occurs in Africa, but 74 countries are affected.
Useful Links
Irish Consulate – Country Specific Information:
Irish Consulate - Travel Insurance
Irish Consulate - TravelWise Strategy
Irish Consulate – What to do in an Emergency:
UK Foreign Office – Country Specific Information:
US Consulate – Country Specific Information:
Fit for Travel - fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
Department of Foreign Affairs - Know Before You Go - Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie)