With all the hoping, praying and wishing that comes with planning for a baby, there are a few other things to be mindful of if you’re travelling abroad and trying to conceive. We want to do all we can to make sure that you’re happy and healthy in whatever your plans are for now and for in the future, so here’s our handy mini guide with some expert advice on what’s safe for you and your future baby with regards to travel vaccines and medicines.
Every pregnancy and every conception is different. Make sure you let your nurse or GP know as many details as you can about your personal medical history and your trip itinerary so that they can help you as much as possible.
Our top tip: Go speak to someone!
If you’re travelling somewhere where there’s a high risk of diseases like malaria or yellow fever, then you’ll definitely want to speak to your GP or one of our friendly nurses at a local Superdrug Travel Clinic about having your jabs done and ordering antimalarial tablets well in advance of your trip. If you are keen to conceive soon, it may be the case that the trip you had planned might not be suitable, as some medications and vaccines are not advisable during or before pregnancy. In addition, some infections can be much more dangerous during pregnancy. Your health should always be your top priority if you’re thinking of travelling somewhere that’s at high risk of infection or diseases like these, and this is even more important if you’re thinking of having a baby. In the long run, it’s always going to be best that you look after yourself so that you’re well enough to handle however many little ones might come later on!
Live vaccines
The thing to be wary of, however, is that there is evidence to show that some live vaccines (like the vaccine for yellow fever) can be dangerous for babies in the womb or conceived around the time of the vaccine. However, catching the infection whilst you are pregnant could be even more dangerous, so for every trip it is important that you weigh up the risks and benefits of having or not having the vaccines.
When is it safe for me to conceive?
Depending on the vaccine/tablet, you may have to wait a number of weeks before conceiving, so check with your nurse, GP or Superdrug Travel Clinic nurse about this first. If you’re going somewhere with a risk of malaria then you should never try to conceive while you’re taking your antimalarial tablets, and you may even have to wait a while after you stop taking the tablets, depending on which tablet you choose. You should discuss this with your travel nurse before you go away.
Again, our best piece of advice really is to go to speak to your GP or a travel health nurse, because they’ll have all the most up-to-date and relevant information for your trip. Yours and your future baby’s health is the most important thing in this equation, so don’t play with these rules if you can help it.
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How it works
1 Book an appointment
Book online or call our booking line. Our lines are open every day!
2 Attend Consultation
During your appointment, the nurse or pharmacist will assess which vaccines or medications you need.
3 Get your treatment
Once our health advisor has assessed your needs, you'll receive your vaccinations & treatments straight away.