If you’re planning to travel overseas this year, chances are you’ll have a long list of to-dos before you board your plane. Among them are likely to be “book a travel clinic appointment” and “arrange travel insurance”.
But did you know that the two are more closely connected than you might think? While you’re not going to find travel insurance during a visit to a travel clinic in Twyford, what happens there could well influence your policy – and whether it’s valid.
That’s because the vaccinations you choose to have (or in some cases choose not to have) could affect what’s covered by your travel insurer.
Why do travel insurers care about travel vaccinations?
In this day and age we are lucky that many serious illnesses are preventable through vaccination or medication – such as antimalarial drugs. Because there is a simple and accessible way to prevent yourself from falling ill in many cases, insurers expect you to take it.
This means that if you choose not to have the recommended travel vaccinations prior to your trip and then contract one of the conditions they can prevent, your travel insurance will be invalid.
Of course, if you are advised by your pharmacist not to have a certain vaccine, or you have a medical condition that makes the vaccine inappropriate for you, this changes the situation.
However, it’s essential that you contact your travel insurance provider before your trip to tell them which vaccinations you have been unable to have and to make sure that you have fully disclosed any existing medical conditions.
Do I need travel insurance?
For the vast majority of people, travel insurance is a policy you pay for and never claim on. However, if you do fall ill in a foreign country, medical bills can climb quickly.
Most travel insurance policies will not only cover your medical expenses while you are overseas, but also repatriation to the UK and even expenses for someone to fly out and meet you if that’s recommended by your doctor.
Bills can run to hundreds of thousands of pounds, so it is certainly worth the relatively small expense to take out a travel insurance policy before you fly – and to do all that you can to make sure it remains valid.
Do I need travel vaccinations to get travel insurance?
You don’t need to prove you’ve had the relevant travel vaccinations to take out a travel insurance policy, but many insurers state that they won’t pay out for claims for illnesses that are preventable.
Among the most commonly recommended travel vaccines in the UK are:
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis A
- Tetanus/diphtheria/polio
- Cholera
Depending on what activities you’ll be doing while abroad, where you’re travelling to and how remote the location is, your travel health clinic may also recommend vaccines such as:
- Japanese encephalitis
- Rabies
- Hepatitis B
- Yellow fever
How will I know what travel vaccinations I need?
When you visit your local travel health clinic, a trained pharmacist will be able to talk you through what vaccinations you will need for your trip.
They’ll ask you questions about where you’re travelling to – not only the country but which parts of the country in some cases – and how long you’re intending to stay for.
They might also ask you what activities you’re planning to do. This is because certain activities, like jungle trekking, might put you at a slightly higher risk of exposure to certain illnesses.
Your adviser will also look at how remote you’ll be and particularly how far away you’ll be from the nearest medical facility. This is because certain diseases, like rabies, need to be treated quickly.
The rabies vaccine, for example, will reduce the number of injections you’ll need after exposure to the disease and give you a longer window in which to seek medical treatment. Therefore if you’ll be staying in an area that is a day or more from the nearest hospital where rabies is present, the vaccine will be advised.
What about travel medication like antimalarials?
Just as your travel insurer will expect you to take the necessary precautions by having the recommended travel vaccines, they will also expect you to take antimalarial medication if they are advised during your travel health appointment.
In addition to the antimalarials, you will also be expected to take sensible steps to prevent insect bites, such as sleeping under a mosquito net, using insect repellant on your skin and wearing clothing that covers your legs and arms, especially in the mornings and evenings when mosquitos are most active.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, standard travel insurance policies do not cover routine travel vaccinations because they are considered preventative healthcare. Some comprehensive private health insurance policies may offer limited reimbursement, so it is worth checking your policy documents before booking your travel clinic appointment.
Potentially, yes. If you travel to a destination where vaccinations, malaria prevention, or other health precautions are recommended and you fail to take reasonable steps to protect your health, insurers may consider this when assessing certain medical claims. Always follow official travel health advice before departure.
Travel insurance helps cover the financial consequences of illness or medical emergencies abroad, whereas a travel health clinic helps reduce the risk of becoming ill in the first place. Travel vaccinations, malaria prevention, and personalised health advice are important parts of preparing for safe travel.