--- title: "Travel Vaccinations and Travel Medicine at Your GP in Leiden | HeyDoc" description: "Travel medicine, vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis and pre-travel consultations at HeyDoc — your English-speaking GP in Leiden. What's covered, what's not, and how to plan ahead." url: https://heydoc.nl/en/kennisbank/travel-vaccinations-leiden lang: en source: heydoc.nl generated: 2026-05-03T09:34:43.382Z --- # Travel Vaccinations and Travel Medicine at Your GP in Leiden Updated1 May 2026 Travel medicine, vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis and pre-travel consultations at HeyDoc — your English-speaking GP in Leiden. What's covered, what's not, and how to plan ahead. # Travel Vaccinations and Travel Medicine at Your GP in Leiden Going abroad? Whether for work, study, fieldwork, holiday, or visiting family in another country, a quick travel consultation can prevent serious illness. Many travel-related health risks are preventable with vaccines, prophylactic medication, or simple advice — and increasingly, all of this can be handled directly at your GP rather than via a separate travel clinic. This article explains what travel medicine covers, what's needed for typical destinations, what's covered by insurance, and how to plan it. ## When to start planning The single most common mistake: starting too late. Some vaccines need 4–6 weeks before departure to be fully effective; some require a series of doses across several weeks. Plan a travel consultation**at least 6 weeks before departure**— preferably 2–3 months for longer or more complex trips. For last-minute trips, partial protection is still better than nothing. Same-day appointments are often possible for urgent cases. ## What a travel consultation covers A pre-travel consultation typically includes: - **Country-specific risk assessment**— based on destination, season, type of travel (urban, rural, fieldwork, backpacking) - **Vaccination recommendations**— both routine updates and travel-specific - **Malaria prophylaxis**if relevant — type and dosing depends on destination - **Food, water, and insect-bite advice** - **Altitude advice**for high-altitude travel - **Trip-specific medication**— antibiotics for travellers' diarrhoea, anti-nausea, etc. - **General travel kit recommendations** - **Country-specific medical concerns**— climate, healthcare access, common scams or risks Bring your trip details: destinations, dates, type of accommodation, planned activities, and any pre-existing conditions. ## Common travel vaccinations **Routine vaccines that should be up to date for any travel:** - DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, polio) - MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) - COVID-19 boosters as recommended **Common travel-specific vaccines:** - **Hepatitis A**— most of Asia, Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe. Two-dose series gives 25+ years of protection. - **Hepatitis B**— long-term travel, healthcare or aid workers, partner from high-risk region. Three-dose series. - **Typhoid**— South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, especially with rural or longer stays. - **Yellow fever**— required for entry to many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America. Single dose, lifelong protection. Officially documented (yellow card). - **Cholera**— for high-risk areas, oral vaccine. - **Japanese encephalitis**— rural Asia, longer stays. - **Meningococcal**— Hajj/Umrah pilgrimage (required), parts of Africa. - **Rabies**— for higher-risk travel: cycling tours, fieldwork, long stays in endemic areas, animal handlers. - **Tick-borne encephalitis**— Central and Eastern Europe, hiking/camping in forested areas. ## Malaria prophylaxis Several different medications, choice depends on destination and personal factors: - **Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone)**— daily, well-tolerated, expensive - **Doxycycline**— daily, cheap, also covers some other tropical infections, but causes sun sensitivity - **Mefloquine (Lariam)**— weekly, but with neuropsychiatric warnings; less commonly first choice - **Tafenoquine**— newer single-dose options for specific scenarios Combine with bite prevention: DEET-based repellent, long sleeves at dawn/dusk, treated bed nets where mosquitoes are present indoors. ## Special situations **Pregnant or trying to conceive.**Some vaccines (live vaccines like yellow fever, MMR) are contraindicated. Some malaria medications aren't safe in pregnancy. Talk to your GP early — sometimes destinations need to be reconsidered or trips delayed. **Children.**Different schedules, different doses, sometimes different recommendations entirely. Bring the vaccination booklet (rijksvaccinatieprogramma boekje or international equivalent). **Immunocompromised travellers.**Special considerations for live vaccines, often need to start planning earlier and may need longer consultation. **Long-term travel and migration.**People moving abroad for years or returning to a country of origin for extended visits may need additional planning — including medication supply, healthcare access, evacuation insurance. **Fieldwork or research travel.**Researchers, NGO workers, and journalists going to remote or high-risk areas often need country-specific advice that goes beyond standard tourist recommendations. Bring detailed itineraries and risk assessments from your institution. **Visiting family in country of origin (VFR travellers).**Statistically the highest-risk travel group, because people often skip vaccinations assuming they're "going home." Risk doesn't decrease — vaccinations are still essential. ## What's covered by insurance This is the part that surprises people: **Travel vaccinations and consultations are usually NOT covered by basisverzekering.**They fall outside the basic package because they're considered preventive care for elective travel. Exact amounts depend on the tariff year, vaccine supplier, and whether something is booked as GP care or via an external travel clinic —**we tell you the price before you agree**. **Many aanvullende (supplementary) insurances cover travel vaccinations**, partially or fully — check your policy. Common terms: "reizigersvaccinaties," "preventieve zorg," "vaccinaties buitenland." **Exceptions where basis insurance does cover:** - Hepatitis B for healthcare workers (occupational) - Some vaccinations on medical (not travel) indication - COVID-19 vaccines ## Yellow fever specifically Yellow fever vaccination is**only allowed at officially registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres**. Not every GP practice qualifies. The vaccine must be recorded on a yellow international certificate of vaccination, which is required to enter many African and South American countries. In Leiden and surrounding areas, yellow fever centres include: - LUMC Travel Clinic (LUMC, Albinusdreef 2) - GGD Hollands Midden (Parmentierweg 49) - Various private travel clinics in The Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam If your destination requires yellow fever, plan for an extra visit to one of these centres. Other travel vaccines can typically be combined at your GP. ## Travel kit recommendations A basic travel medical kit: - Paracetamol, ibuprofen - Anti-diarrhoeal (loperamide) for emergencies - Oral rehydration salts - Antihistamine (cetirizine) - Sunscreen (high SPF) - Insect repellent (DEET 30-50%) - Plasters, antiseptic wipes - Personal medication in original packaging - Spare prescriptions (in English) for any chronic medication - Emergency contraception if relevant For higher-risk destinations or activities, your GP can recommend additional items: emergency antibiotics for severe travellers' diarrhoea, altitude medication, anti-malarial standby treatment. ## Coming back: what to do if you get sick **Within three months of return**with fever, persistent diarrhoea, unexplained illness — see your GP and**mention the travel**. Some tropical infections present weeks or months after exposure. Standard Dutch GP triage doesn't always think tropical without prompting; tell them. **Vaccination updates after return:**if you started a hepatitis B series and need follow-up doses, your GP can complete it. **Chronic effects after travel:**persistent symptoms (joint pain, skin lesions, neurological symptoms) after travel to specific regions sometimes warrant specialist tropical medicine referral. Your GP can arrange this via LUMC's tropical and travel medicine outpatient clinic. ## At HeyDoc We do travel medicine on-site for most destinations. Yellow fever requires an external centre as noted. We don't run a separate "travel clinic" billing — it's part of normal care. For complex itineraries or higher-risk destinations, we sometimes plan two consultations: one for advice and start of vaccinations, one closer to departure for boosters and final preparation. →**[Register as a patient](https://heydoc.nl/patient-worden?lang=en)**— registration first, travel consultation after →**[Send a question](https://heydoc.nl/contact)**— about your specific destination --- *This article is general information and not personal medical advice. Vaccination recommendations are highly destination- and person-specific. Consult your GP or a travel medicine practitioner for your specific trip.* --- Written by**HeyDoc**· HeyDoc GP practice, Leiden. This article is general information and does not replace a personal consultation. Questions?[Register with HeyDoc](https://heydoc.nl/patient-worden?lang=en)or[get in touch](https://heydoc.nl/contact).