Reviewed by a GPhC-registered Pharmacist at Newdays Pharmacy | Published: 2026 | Book an appointment
| Quick Answer: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a serious viral brain infection transmitted by tick bites in forested and rural areas of central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia. The TBE vaccine (TicoVac) is given as a two or three dose course and is recommended for travellers undertaking hiking, camping, or outdoor activities in TBE risk areas. It is available at Newdays Pharmacy in Berkshire. |
Tick-borne encephalitis is an underappreciated risk for UK travellers who enjoy walking, hiking, camping, and outdoor activities in rural Europe and Asia. Unlike many travel health risks confined to tropical destinations, TBE is present across central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Russia, China, and Japan, including areas popular with UK hikers and skiers such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. The TBE vaccine is one of the few travel vaccines specifically relevant to European outdoor travellers and is available at Newdays Pharmacy.
What Is Tick-Borne Encephalitis?
Tick-borne encephalitis is caused by the TBE virus, transmitted primarily through the bite of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Europe and Ixodes persulcatus in Asia. The virus can also, less commonly, be transmitted through consumption of unpasteurised dairy products in TBE endemic areas. After an incubation period of seven to fourteen days, infection typically presents in two phases. The first phase resembles a flu-like illness with fever, headache, and fatigue. In approximately one third of cases a second phase develops involving infection of the brain and meninges (encephalitis or meningoencephalitis), which can cause persistent neurological complications or, rarely, death. There is no specific antiviral treatment; management is supportive.
Where Is TBE Risk Present?
TBE risk areas in Europe include Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Poland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Risk is concentrated in forested, rural, and agricultural areas at altitudes below 1,500 metres during the active tick season from April to November. TBE is not limited to very remote areas; popular hiking regions including the Black Forest in Germany, the Bavarian Alps, and forested regions of Austria carry documented TBE risk.
The TBE Vaccine: TicoVac
The TBE vaccine (TicoVac) is a highly effective inactivated vaccine. The standard adult course consists of three doses: the second dose is given one to three months after the first, and the third dose is given five to twelve months after the second. An accelerated schedule is available (day zero, day seven, day twenty one) for travellers with insufficient time for the standard course, though the accelerated schedule requires a fourth dose twelve to eighteen months later to consolidate long term protection. Booster doses are recommended every three to five years for those with ongoing TBE exposure risk.
Tick Bite Avoidance: Essential Even With Vaccination
TBE vaccination significantly reduces the risk of serious disease but does not eliminate all tick bite risks. Ticks can also transmit Lyme disease, for which no vaccine is currently available in the UK. Tick bite avoidance measures are essential for all outdoor travellers in TBE risk areas: wearing long trousers tucked into socks, applying DEET or permethrin repellent to clothing and skin, staying on paths and avoiding long grass and bracken, and performing full body tick checks after outdoor activity. Ticks should be removed promptly using a tick removal tool with a smooth twisting motion.
| Book Now: Book a Travel Health Consultation at Newdays Pharmacy. We serve patients from Windsor, Eton, Twyford, Reading, and across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine is recommended if you’ll be hiking, camping or walking in forests or long grass in risk areas during tick season, usually spring to autumn. Risk areas include much of central, eastern and northern Europe, such as Austria, Germany, Czechia, Switzerland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states, as well as parts of Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.
Ideally, start at least one month before you travel. You need two doses for short-term protection, and on the rapid schedule the second dose can be given 2 weeks after the first. A third dose 5 to 12 months later completes the course and gives longer-lasting protection, with boosters needed after that if you keep travelling to risk areas.
No. The TBE vaccine isn’t available free on the NHS for travel, so you’ll need to pay for it privately. Newdays Pharmacy offers the TBE vaccine as part of a travel health consultation, where a pharmacist will check your itinerary and confirm whether you need it.
No. The TBE vaccine only protects against tick-borne encephalitis, and there’s no vaccine for Lyme disease. Avoiding tick bites is still important. Use an insect repellent containing DEET, wear long trousers tucked into your socks, check yourself for ticks every day and remove any you find promptly with a tick remover or fine-tipped tweezers.