Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio booster in West Hampstead London Travel Clinic

Td/IPV (Revaxis®) booster in West Hampstead at a glance

Td/IPV is the standard adult booster used across the UK to top up immunity against tetanus, diphtheria and polio. It is given as a single intramuscular injection (Revaxis® is the most common brand) and provides around 10 years of cover. Most UK-born adults completed the primary course in childhood and only need this 10-year booster, particularly before travel to areas where any of the three diseases still circulate.

Who needs the Td/IPV booster?

NaTHNaC and the UKHSA Green Book recommend a Td/IPV booster for adults travelling to countries where tetanus, diphtheria or polio are a risk, if their last dose was more than 10 years ago. This includes essentially all travel to South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Central and South America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet states. Travellers to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two remaining polio-endemic countries, may be required by the WHO Temporary Recommendations to show proof of polio vaccination given between 4 weeks and 12 months before departure. Outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus have also been reported in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and Papua New Guinea, so an in-date booster is the safest position.

Tetanus, diphtheria and polio, what each one is

Tetanus is caused by a soil-dwelling bacterium that enters through wounds, scrapes, animal bites and burns. It is not spread person to person, which is why a booster matters more than herd immunity. Diphtheria is a bacterial throat and skin infection still present in parts of South Asia, the former Soviet states and sub-Saharan Africa. Polio is a viral infection that can cause permanent paralysis; wild poliovirus is now confined to Pakistan and Afghanistan, but vaccine-derived strains have re-emerged in other countries with low childhood vaccination rates.

How the appointment works at Aqua

Book online and come to 59 Mill Lane, West Hampstead. The pharmacist takes a short travel history, confirms when you last had a tetanus or polio booster, and administers Td/IPV in the upper arm. Total appointment time is around 15 minutes. The vaccine works quickly: protective antibody levels are reached within a couple of weeks, but even immediate post-exposure cover is useful if you have not had a booster in over a decade.

Polio re-entry rules: Pakistan and Afghanistan

If you are travelling from Pakistan or Afghanistan back to the UK or onward to a third country, the WHO Temporary Recommendations under the International Health Regulations require proof of a polio vaccination given between 4 weeks and 12 months before departure. Td/IPV satisfies this requirement and the pharmacist will record the date and batch on your International Certificate of Vaccination so you can present it at the border if asked. Travellers visiting Nigeria, Somalia, Papua New Guinea or other countries with active circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus may also be asked at the border, so an in-date booster is sensible.

One dose every 10 years

For adults who completed the primary course in childhood (5 doses by age 14 is the UK schedule), a single Td/IPV booster gives around 10 years of cover. There is no second dose to schedule. If you have never had the primary course, or your records are missing, the pharmacist will discuss whether a three-dose primary course is needed instead. Most UK adults need only the single booster.

Side effects and contraindications

Side effects are usually mild: sore arm at the injection site, low-grade fever, mild headache or fatigue for 24 to 48 hours. The vaccine is inactivated (not live), so it is safe in pregnancy and for immunosuppressed travellers when clinically indicated. The pharmacist will check your suitability at the appointment, including any history of severe reaction to a previous tetanus-containing vaccine.

Combined with other vaccines

Td/IPV can be given in the same appointment as Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, Meningitis ACWY, Rabies and almost any other travel vaccine. This is particularly useful if you are travelling at short notice and want to consolidate everything into one visit. For travellers heading to South Asia or the polio-endemic belt, we often combine Td/IPV with Hepatitis A and Typhoid (or the ViATIM® combined product) in the same appointment.

Book your appointment

Aqua Travel Clinic is at 59 Mill Lane, West Hampstead NW6 1NB, one minute from West Hampstead station. The clinic is operated by Aqua Pharmacy (GPhC premises 1123406), part of Naspram Pharma Limited. All consultations are supervised by Superintendent Pharmacist Sanjay Mukundkumar Patel (GPhC 2045157). Book a Td/IPV appointment online or call us. Most travellers are vaccinated within the same week.