Almost always fatal once symptoms appear, get pre-exposure vaccination planned around your departure date.
(Rabipur/Verorab)
The rabies course is planned around your departure date from your very first appointment.
No referrals needed. Pick a slot and book online.
Pharmacist checks your itinerary, activities, and health to tailor your course.
First dose given at your first visit; remaining dates locked in before you leave.
Found in over 150 countries, the risk is highest in Asia, Africa and the Americas, where treatment is limited.
Rabies risk exists in many more countries. Your pharmacist will confirm recommendations based on your specific travel plans.
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. This is most often through a bite, but a scratch or contact with broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth will do. Any animal bite in an endemic country, however small, must be taken seriously.
Look out for fever, headache, or tingling at a bite site, these are easy to miss. Once it reaches the brain, symptoms worsen quickly, and the disease is almost fatal.
Rabipur, an inactivated rabies vaccine for all ages, follows standard 28-day, alternative 21-day, or accelerated (days 0, 3, 7) schedules. It’s made in chick embryo cells, so let your pharmacist know if you have a known allergy to egg, polygeline, chlortetracycline, or amphotericin B before you book.
Verorab is an inactivated rabies vaccine for adults and children of all ages. It is available on standard 28-day and alternative 21-day schedules. No accelerated option. Verorab is available at your appointment. Tell your pharmacist if you are allergic to polymyxin B, streptomycin or latex, or a diagnosis of PKU.
Rabies vaccine side effects are usually mild and brief. Localized tenderness, redness, or swelling are common, while some experience headaches, nausea, muscle aches, or fever. Rare severe reactions exist; your pharmacist will provide guidance before you depart.
Backpackers and adventure travellers
Frequent rural travel increases stray animal exposure and delays access to medical care.
Cyclists touring endemic regions
Rural travel increases dog encounter risk; potential falls create wounds that attract animal contact.
Children in rabies-endemic countries
Higher risk of unmonitored animal contact; prone to under-reporting minor injuries.
Cave explorers and wildlife volunteers
High risk from bats and direct animal handling.
Travellers in areas with poor healthcare access
Vaccination provides crucial time to reach emergency care.
Long-stay travellers and expat workers
Prolonged exposure increases the likelihood of animal contact.
Post-exposure treatment needed
Yes, but fewer doses required
Yes, full course plus rabies immunoglobulin required
Time to find treatment
More time available; vaccination buys critical hours or days
Treatment must begin as soon as possible
Rabies immunoglobulin needed
No
Yes, may be difficult to source in remote areas
Overall risk if treatment is delayed
Reduced but not eliminated
Significantly higher
Every appointment is led by a pharmacist who has spent a career doing this.
Mandeep Sandhu has been a pharmacist since 2006, qualifying at Aberdeen. Travel health has been the real focus of his career. He has an independent prescriber qualification with yellow fever accreditation and NaTHNaC training and has spent over a decade helping people travel safely.
He is a keen traveller himself and understands that no two trips are the same. Every patient receives the time and advice that their trip actually needs.
Qualified pharmacist registered with the GPhC
Authorised to prescribe and supply travel medications independently
Certified to administer the yellow fever vaccine and issue the ICVP certificate
Travel health training aligned with UK national guidance
Colchester Travel Clinic is easy to reach with free on-site parking and appointments available six days a week.
We’re an independent, pharmacist-led clinic where you’re seen by the same team from first consultation to final vaccine no transfers, no chase.
Yes, pre-exposure vaccination reduces doses needed but never replaces post-exposure treatment. Seek emergency care immediately.
A standard course needs 5 weeks; a 21-day schedule needs 4 weeks. Accelerated options may be available; your pharmacist will advise.
Yes. Both vaccines suit all ages. Children face higher exposure risk and should be vaccinated before travel to endemic regions.
Pre-exposure is given before travel as a safety buffer. Post-exposure is urgent treatment after a bite; go to A&E immediately.
Every 2–5 years for ongoing exposure risk. Accelerated course recipients should ask about serology testing to confirm antibody levels.
Booking your appointment is quick and easy. We guide you through each step so you know exactly what to expect.
