Australia

VACCINATIONS

Travellers should be up to date with routinely recommended vaccinations according to the routine UK immunisation programme.

Hepatitis B
Vaccination recommended for travellers whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk, including those who may have unprotected sex, those who may be exposed to contaminated needles (eg, through injecting drug use or receiving medical or dental care), those who may be exposed to blood or body fluids through their work (eg, health workers), long-stay travellers, those who are participating in contact sports and families adopting children from this country.

Rabies
Rabies has not been reported in domestic or wild animals in this country but bats may carry bat lyssavirus (bat rabies). Vaccination is recommended for travellers whose activities put them at increased risk, including those at risk due to their work (eg, those working with bats).

Japanese encephalitis
Vaccination recommended for travellers whose activities put them at increased risk, including those who are staying for a month or longer during the transmission season, especially if travel will include rural areas with rice fields and marshland. Vaccination could be considered for travellers on shorter trips if the risk is considered to be sufficient (eg, for travellers spending time in areas where the mosquito breeds such as rice fields or marshlands, or pig farming areas).

Yellow fever
International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) required if arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission or having transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of a risk country (excluding the Galapagos islands, Tobago and areas outside Misiones province in Argentina).

- applies to travellers from 12 months of age.

If a receiving country requires an ICVP as a condition of entry, and the individual should not receive the vaccine on medical grounds, a letter of medical exemption can be considered.

Tetanus
Travellers should have completed a primary vaccination course according to the UK schedule. If travelling to a country where medical facilities may be limited, a booster dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine is recommended if the last dose was more than ten years ago even if five doses of vaccine have been given previously.

Further information

Abbreviated information provided by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). Refer to the Australia page on travelhealthpro.org.uk for full details.