Travel vaccines are probably the only thing which doesn’t thrill anybody when planning a trip but to have own our piece in mind this is actually one of the first thing we have taken into account also because we don’t have much time before the departure. Yet, we haven’t book our flight and we already took 4 shots of different travel vaccines.

I must say was pretty easy to arrange it, stress free and, mostly important as backpackers, they came so far for free which it makes all a bit more “pleasant”.

In the UK there are vary travel clinics that will arrange these probably on the same day such as Nomad Travel and Doctor Today against a fee of course.

The NHS website is a great source of info for all vaccinations and travel health requirements anywhere worldwide which offers also an easy to use interactive map.

But if you allow yourself at least 6 weeks before departure you might want to check it first with your local GP. Just a quick call to fix an appointment with a nurse and in only a week time we already had on our first appointment the Hepatitis A and B shots, the first one out of 3 injections, and yesterday other 2 shots one for the Typhoid and “three in one” for Diptheria, Poliomyelitis and Tetanus. All freebies which I reckon they easily have saved us £140 each so far!

Normally they would be only minor side effects from these vaccines such as soreness, tenderness where the shot was given, mild fever during a couple of days following the injections and some rushes.

For me, I was complete fine with the first jabs but the second time they knock me completely down, probably also because as start I did have a sore throat. At the moment I am feeling like s***t : it feels like I have somebody with a pneumatic drill hammering my head and my throat’s glands are swelling like a frigatebird in love and it does get worst as I got the temperature at 38°C all yesterday and I feel dreadful.

In case you too had your jabs and are worry about some symptoms, I found useful to rang NHS direct on 08454647 which is a 24 services where you could speak with a nurse which will provide you first advice and she reassured me they are all common reactions and should allow 2/3 days to get it over; obviously I need to keep an eyes if it gets worst in which case I should contact them again or seek advice from my GP.

Apart those travel vaccinations, there are some extra for which we would have to pull out some cash from our travel budget such as Malaria pills, Rabies (which it does seem worthless), Japanese B encephalitis and Tuberculosis. These are available through commercial clinics in London but we are going to take them while back in Italy as they come for half the actual cost in the UK.

These will only be the necessary immunizations for a trip of this scale and for the intended destinations but of course nobody can guarantee you wouldn't get sick while traveling and many travelers develop minor sickness, the most common and uncomfortable are probably related to stomach discomforts and diarrhea, which it doesn’t sound nice to talk about it, I know and I am sure is not even pleasant, but it’s easily caught by many by contaminated food and water.

The important thing I reckon is to try minimizing the risks and be a conscious traveler.