The ideal timeline for your travel health appointment — and what to do if you're short on time.
The general recommendation is to see a travel health doctor at least 6-8 weeks before your departure date. This allows time for multi-dose vaccines to provide full protection, for your immune system to respond to single-dose vaccines, and for any side effects to pass before you travel.
Hepatitis B: Standard schedule is 0, 1, and 6 months — meaning you ideally need to start 6 months before travel. An accelerated schedule (0, 7, 21 days) is available with a booster at 12 months.
Japanese Encephalitis: Two doses, 28 days apart. You need at least 5 weeks before travel.
Rabies (pre-exposure): Standard schedule of 2-3 doses over 3-4 weeks. At least 4-5 weeks before departure.
Yellow Fever: Single dose, valid from 10 days after vaccination. Minimum 2 weeks before departure.
Hepatitis A and Typhoid: Single dose provides protection within 2-4 weeks.
It's always better to get vaccinated late than not at all. Many vaccines provide partial protection quickly — even a single dose of a multi-dose vaccine is better than none. Your travel doctor can prioritise the most critical vaccines for your destination and use accelerated schedules where available.
6+ months before: Start Hepatitis B series if needed. Research your destination's requirements.
8 weeks before: Book your travel health appointment. Start Japanese Encephalitis or Rabies series if recommended.
4 weeks before: Receive single-dose vaccines (Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hep A). Get malaria prophylaxis prescription.
2 weeks before: Final vaccine doses. Fill malaria prophylaxis prescription. Assemble travel health kit (DEET repellent, oral rehydration sachets, basic medications).
Last updated: April 2026