Australians are passionate travellers — but international travel exposes you to diseases that simply don’t circulate here at home. A pre-travel GP consultation ensures you’re appropriately protected for your specific destination, activities and health history.
Why See a GP Before Travelling?
Travel health risks are highly destination-specific. The vaccines and precautions needed for a family beach holiday in Bali are completely different from a backpacking trip through India, a safari in Kenya, or a business trip to South America. A GP experienced in travel medicine will assess your specific itinerary, accommodation style, activities and personal health history to provide tailored advice.
Common Travel Vaccines for Australians
The following vaccines are commonly recommended depending on your destination:
- Hepatitis A: Recommended for most developing-world destinations. Highly effective single-dose vaccine provides long-lasting protection.
- Hepatitis B: Recommended for longer stays, healthcare workers travelling abroad, or those in high-prevalence regions.
- Typhoid: Recommended for South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal), Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
- Cholera (Dukoral): Oral vaccine that also provides some protection against traveller’s diarrhoea — useful for adventurous or remote travel.
- Japanese Encephalitis: For rural travel in Asia during summer months — particularly important for extended stays in rice-growing regions.
- Rabies: Pre-exposure prophylaxis for adventure travel, long-term stays, or frequent travellers to endemic regions.
Malaria Prevention
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne infection present in parts of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and South America. Prevention involves chemoprophylaxis (medication taken before, during and after travel) combined with physical mosquito bite prevention measures.
The appropriate medication (doxycycline, atovaquone-proguanil, or mefloquine) depends on your destination, the duration of travel, your medical history and tolerance. Your GP will prescribe the most suitable option at your consultation.
When Should I Book My Travel Consultation?
We recommend booking at least 6–8 weeks before departure. Some vaccines require a course over several weeks (e.g., Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies pre-exposure), and your body needs time to develop immunity after immunisation. Even a last-minute consultation 1–2 weeks before travel is better than none — speak with our team about what is still possible.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
Bring your immunisation history (or Australian Immunisation Register record from MyGov), your travel itinerary including all destinations and dates, any relevant past travel health records, and a list of current medications. Your GP will use all this information to provide the most complete and personalised advice for your trip.