“I’m flying on Friday. Is there any point?”
It is one of the questions we hear most often, and the honest answer is almost always yes. Plenty of people only think about travel vaccines once the flights are booked and the bags are half packed. You may not be able to have everything you would have had with more notice, but many vaccines can still be given at short notice, and some malaria tablets can be started just before you go.
This guide to last-minute travel vaccinations explains what you can still have if you are flying in under two weeks, what needs more time, and the one rule that catches people out: yellow fever. If you are in Swansea and short on time, our travel clinic at Killay and Pontarddulais can help.
The short answer
It is rarely too late to get travel health advice. Single-dose vaccines such as hepatitis A, typhoid and the diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster can usually be given right up to departure. Some longer courses have faster schedules if you have at least a week. The big exception is yellow fever: the certificate is only valid 10 days after your jab, so if a country requires it, you need to act now.
Why the Usual Advice Is to Book Weeks Ahead
UK travel health guidance suggests seeing a health professional four to six weeks before you travel, and we usually recommend booking at least eight weeks ahead. That is not because vaccines stop working closer to the date. It is because some vaccines need more than one dose spread over several weeks, and your body needs time after a vaccine to build up protection.
So if you are short on time, the question is not whether to bother. It is which vaccines still make sense, which can be sped up, and which you may have to go without this time, in which case other precautions matter even more.
What You Can Still Have in Under Two Weeks
Which vaccines you need depends on where you are going, what you will be doing and what you have had before. Your pharmacist will work that out with you. As a general guide, this is how the common travel vaccines fit around a short timescale.
Based on UK guidance (the Green Book, TravelHealthPro and NHS advice). Your pharmacist will confirm what is right for you, as age, health and previous vaccines all make a difference.
How Many Days Until You Fly?
Here is roughly what is still realistic, depending on how long you have. Your pharmacist will tailor this to your destination. Enter your flight date below for a personal checklist.
When do you fly? Check what you can still have
Three quick questions. A general guide only; your pharmacist will confirm what is right for you.
10 days or more
Most single-dose vaccines, the fast rabies course, and a yellow fever certificate that will be valid when you land. The fast Japanese encephalitis course is only realistic with about two weeks.
7 to 9 days
Single-dose vaccines, and the fast rabies course can still be finished before you fly. A yellow fever certificate will not yet be valid on arrival.
Under a week
Single-dose vaccines such as hepatitis A, typhoid and the diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster, plus malaria tablets that start a day or two before you arrive.
Flying tomorrow
Hepatitis A can still be given up to the day you leave, some malaria tablets can still be started, and good advice on food, water and bites still counts.
Travelling for Hajj or Umrah? Saudi Arabia has its own certificate rules for the meningitis ACWY vaccine, which we cover in our guide to the meningitis ACWY vaccine for Hajj and Umrah.
Malaria Tablets at Short Notice
If you are going somewhere with malaria, tablets are just as important as any vaccine, and this is one area where short notice is often fine. Some of the commonly used tablets only need to be started a day or two before you arrive in a malaria area. Others need to be started one to three weeks beforehand, so they are less suitable when time is short.
Your pharmacist will choose the right option for your destination, your health and how long you have. Malaria tablets for travel are not available on the NHS, so you pay for them privately. Depending on the tablet, our pharmacist can either supply it directly or arrange a private prescription. Whatever you take, keep using insect repellent and covering up, because no tablet is 100% effective.
If You Cannot Have Everything This Time
Sometimes there simply is not enough time to finish a course. That does not mean you are unprotected. Vaccines work alongside sensible precautions, not instead of them, and these matter even more when your protection is not complete:
- Be careful with food and water: stick to bottled or treated water, and food that is freshly cooked and hot.
- Avoid insect bites with repellent, long sleeves and a net where needed.
- Keep away from animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, and get urgent medical help if you are bitten or scratched.
- Get travel insurance that covers your health.
Any course you start now still counts. Your pharmacist can plan the remaining doses for when you are home, so you are better protected next time.
What to Do Today
- Book your free travel consultation online. A pharmacist will call you back to go through your trip and your vaccine history.
- If you fly in the next few days, call the branch and ask for an urgent appointment rather than waiting for a callback. Pontarddulais is on 01792 882243 and Killay on 01792 202471.
- Have your itinerary ready, including every country you will pass through, how long you are staying and what you will be doing.
- Find your vaccine records, so you do not repeat anything you have already had.
- Ask about routine vaccines too, such as MMR and your diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster, which are easy to overlook.
Some travel vaccines, including hepatitis A, typhoid and the diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster, may be free from your GP if your practice offers travel vaccines. If you cannot get a GP appointment in time, we can help.
Why Choose Medihub
When time is short, you need a straight answer quickly. Medihub is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre with travel clinics at both Swansea branches. Your consultation is with a GPhC-registered pharmacist, and at Killay our Independent Prescriber is Osama Al-Saied, GPhC number 2222112, publicly verifiable on the pharmacy regulator’s register. Killay also opens on Saturday mornings, which helps when you are flying early in the week.
Killay is on Gower Road, SA2 7BA, and serves Killay, Sketty, West Cross and the Gower peninsula. Pontarddulais is on St Teilo Street, SA4 8ST, and is convenient for Gorseinon, Llansamlet, Morriston and the wider Swansea area.
Flying soon? Do not leave it any later.
Book your free travel consultation now, or call your nearest branch if you fly in the next few days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to get travel vaccinations?
Rarely. UK travel health guidance says it is never too late to get advice, and most vaccines can be given at short notice. You may not be able to finish every course, but you can usually still get useful protection and the right malaria tablets.
How long do travel vaccines take to work?
It varies by vaccine, which is why earlier is better. Some, like hepatitis A, may start giving some protection before your body’s response can even be measured, so a late dose is still worth having. Others need several doses before you are fully protected. Your pharmacist will explain what to expect from each one.
Is there any point getting travel vaccines a week before I fly?
Usually, yes. Many vaccines, including hepatitis A and typhoid, can be given at short notice and still offer protection. Some longer courses can be sped up, and some malaria tablets can be started a day or two before you arrive in a malaria area.
Can I get a yellow fever jab the day before I fly?
You can be vaccinated, but the certificate only becomes valid 10 days after the jab. If your destination requires a certificate on arrival, it will not be valid in time. Contact us as soon as possible so we can advise you before you travel.
Can I have the yellow fever and MMR vaccines at the same time?
UK guidance says yellow fever and MMR vaccines should not be given on the same day, and ideally there should be at least four weeks between them, because giving them together can weaken the response to both. If you need protection quickly, they can be given closer together, and an extra MMR dose may be offered later. If you need both, tell us when you book so your pharmacist can plan the timing.
How late can I start malaria tablets?
It depends on the tablet. Some only need starting a day or two before you arrive in a malaria area, while others need one to three weeks. Your pharmacist will pick a suitable option for your timescale.
Can I have several vaccines at the same appointment?
Often, yes. Your pharmacist will check which vaccines can be given together. A travel vaccine appointment can take up to 45 minutes, depending on how many you need.
What if I can’t finish a vaccine course before I go?
Your pharmacist will tell you how much protection the doses you have had are likely to give, what extra precautions to take, and when to come back to finish the course after your trip.
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in?
Please book or call first, so we can check what you need and make sure the right vaccines are ready. If you are flying very soon, phone your nearest branch directly.
Short notice is common, and it is rarely too late to do something useful. If you are heading to India, our India vaccination timing guide and our guide to travel vaccines for India go into more detail. Wherever you are going, book your free consultation and we will help you make the most of the time you have.
Reviewed and medically verified by
Osama Al-Saied, Independent Prescriber
GPhC Number: 2222112 | Independent Prescriber
Medihub Pharmacy, Killay and Pontarddulais, Swansea
Verify on the GPhC register
Last reviewed: 12 October 2026 · Medically reviewed ✓