Travel Vaccination Information
Getting the right vaccinations before a volunteer trip is one of the most important pre-departure steps — but the right choice depends on your health history, your specific itinerary, and recommendations that change over time. Below you will find links to 6 authoritative government and health-organisation sources that publish current, clinician-reviewed guidance. We do not reproduce their recommendations here; we link directly to the source.
Understanding vaccine categories
Travel medicine clinicians typically discuss three publicly-recognised categories of vaccines. This is a widely-documented general framework — not specific advice for any destination.
Routine vaccines
Vaccines recommended regardless of travel — such as MMR, tetanus, and influenza. Travel is an opportunity to check that routine immunisations are up to date.
Travel-specific vaccines
Vaccines recommended because of risks specific to international travel — such as hepatitis A and typhoid. A clinician will assess based on your destination and planned activities.
Region- or entry-dependent
Some vaccines — such as yellow fever — are legally required for entry to certain countries, or required after visiting a country where the disease is endemic. Entry requirements change. Always verify with the destination country's official guidance before travel.
Authoritative sources
The 6 sources below are all official government or internationally-recognised health organisations. Each publishes its own guidance — check the source that is most relevant to your nationality and travel plans.
CDC Yellow Book
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chapter-by-chapter travel health guidance for clinicians and travellers, including destination-specific health notices and vaccine recommendations.
WHO International Travel and Health
World Health Organization
Global standards for travel health, including country-specific vaccination and prophylaxis requirements, disease risk assessments, and outbreak alerts.
FCDO Foreign Travel Advice — Health
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Per-country health sections covering vaccine requirements, healthcare quality, medical evacuation access, and UK-specific travel health guidance.
ISTM — International Society of Travel Medicine
International Society of Travel Medicine
Professional society for travel medicine clinicians; publishes a global clinic finder and evidence-based clinical guidelines for pre-travel consultations.
NHS Fit for Travel
NHS National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), UK
UK National Health Service portal with destination health advice, vaccination schedules, malaria maps, and outbreak news for British travellers.
Public Health Agency of Canada — Travel Health
Public Health Agency of Canada
Canadian government travel health notices, destination-specific advisories, and vaccine and medication guidance for Canadians travelling abroad.
Look up a destination
Select one of our covered volunteer destinations to open its health page on the sources that publish reliable per-country URLs. Always cross-reference more than one source and consult a travel-medicine clinician.
Find a travel-medicine clinic
A travel-medicine consultation — ideally 4–6 weeks before departure — is the most reliable way to get personalised vaccine and prophylaxis advice for your specific itinerary and health history. The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) maintains a searchable global clinic finder.
ISTM clinic finderRelated tools on this site
- Pre-departure checklist — track health prep alongside documents, packing, and finances.
- Travel insurance reference — overview of publicly-known insurance providers for volunteer travellers.
- Destination guides — safety and health links for each of our 28 covered countries.