Brits planning a holiday abroad have been issued a warning to make sure they do one thing “at least” four weeks before setting off. This important process could help keep you safe and healthy while you travel.

In an update provided by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), health experts explained that people should consult a medical professional prior to their trip. This is to see whether any vaccines or tablets are required for where they are visiting.

Importantly, this should be done “four to six weeks” ahead of the holiday, to make sure you are fully prepared.

The UKHSA explained: “Ideally travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic at least four to six weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines and malaria prevention tablets, if relevant for their destination.”

It is also vital for travellers to:    

• Ensure your routine childhood vaccines are up to date
• Have any recommended travel related vaccines
• Stock up on necessary medications including malaria prevention tablets
• Get valid travel insurance to cover your entire trip and planned activities

This advice comes as the latest data shows an increase in travel-associated enteric fever cases (typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever cases) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There were 702 cases in 2024, an 8% rise from 2023 (645 cases). 

“This represents the highest number of cases recorded annually to date,” the UKHSA said.

A free typhoid vaccination is available from GP surgeries for some travellers, though no vaccine exists for paratyphoid.

Moreover, imported malaria cases remain at “concerning levels” in the UK despite a slight decrease in diagnoses to 1,812 in 2024 from 2,106 in 2023. “These figures significantly exceed the levels seen in recent years,” the UKHSA said.

Malaria is potentially fatal but almost entirely preventable when antimalarial tablets are taken correctly. If you know you are going to a country where you know malaria is an issue, you can get tablets from a GP, nurse, pharmacist or travel clinic before you go.

Malaria is mainly found in tropical areas including:

• Large areas of Africa and Asia
• Central and South America
• Dominican Republic and Haiti
• Parts of the Middle East
• Some Pacific islands

Doctor Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: “We are seeing high levels of infections such as malaria and typhoid in returning travellers. It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad – even if you’re visiting friends and relatives abroad or it’s somewhere you visit often. 

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“The Travel Health Pro website has information on how to keep yourself and family healthy, including what vaccines to get, any important medication such as anti-malaria tablets, and how to avoid gastrointestinal infections such as typhoid and hepatitis A.

“If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip.”

To check what vaccinations are needed for the country you are visiting, go to travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries.