Travel vaccinations in central London — what to know before you book
City Of London Clinic operates from Barbican Pharmacy & Clinic on Goswell Road, five minutes from the Square Mile. We're a designated Yellow Fever Centre and a pharmacist-led travel clinic — every appointment is run by Asad Repon, a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber with clinical interests in travel medicine, weight management and cancer care.
If you're booking a corporate trip, a family visit, a long-haul holiday or anything in between, this page covers what most London travellers need to think about: which vaccines you may need, certificate requirements at the destination, lead times, and how the appointment actually works.
Which vaccines are most often needed for travel from London?
The right answer depends on your destination and itinerary, but the vaccines we discuss most often with London travellers are:
- Hepatitis A — recommended for most travel outside Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. A single dose protects for around a year; a booster at 6–12 months extends protection to 25+ years.
- Typhoid — for travel to South Asia, parts of Africa and Central/South America. Single injection, three years' protection.
- Yellow Fever — required for entry to many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America. Single dose, lifelong protection, ICVP certificate issued on the day.
- Rabies — for travellers spending time in rural areas, working with animals, cycling or motorcycling, or staying for extended periods. Three-dose pre-exposure course.
- Hepatitis B — for healthcare workers, longer stays, and anyone potentially exposed to bodily fluids. Three-dose course.
- Japanese Encephalitis — for rural Asia trips of a month or more, or shorter trips during transmission season.
- Cholera — for travel to outbreak areas or for aid/healthcare workers. Oral course of two doses.
- Meningitis ACWY — required for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, recommended for the African meningitis belt.
We also prescribe malaria tablets (Malarone, doxycycline, Lariam) where clinically appropriate, and provide stand-by antibiotics for traveller's diarrhoea, altitude sickness medication, and jetlag guidance.
Corporate travel from the Square Mile
A large share of our appointments come from the City — banking, law, consulting, insurance and tech teams flying for work. We're set up for that workload: corporate accounts with monthly invoicing, VAT receipts, a dedicated billing contact, and same-day appointments routinely available with two hours' notice. For teams travelling together, we schedule efficient back-to-back appointments to minimise downtime.
If you're an HR lead, EA or travel manager setting up vaccinations for a recurring corporate flow, get in touch via the booking page and we'll open an account — typically same-week. We're equally comfortable handling a single executive flying to Lagos tomorrow or a 20-person consulting team rotating through East Africa over the next quarter.
When to book before your trip
Most travellers come 2–6 weeks before departure to allow time for course completion. Rabies is three doses over 21 days, Hepatitis B is three doses, and Japanese Encephalitis is two doses 28 days apart. That said, last-minute jabs do work — we can typically vaccinate up to your departure day for many vaccines. Yellow Fever certificates are valid 10 days after vaccination, so they should be given at least that far ahead of arrival in a yellow-fever-required country.
Yellow Fever Certificate (ICVP) — what to know
Barbican Pharmacy & Clinic is a designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre under the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) scheme. We issue the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) on the day of vaccination. The certificate becomes valid 10 days after the shot and remains valid for life under the 2016 IHR amendment. Customs at countries like Ghana, Tanzania and Brazil regularly check this certificate; we make sure it's filled out correctly and stamped.
What happens in the appointment
You'll book online or by phone. We need about 30 minutes for the consultation. Bring your itinerary (countries, dates, accommodation type, activities) and any vaccine records you have. Asad will go through your route, identify what's clinically appropriate, screen for contraindications, and vaccinate on the spot for most jabs. If a course is needed (rabies, Hep B, JE), we book the follow-up doses before you leave.
Getting to us
City Of London Clinic operates from 36 Goswell Rd., Golden Lane Estate, London EC1M 7AA. The closest Tube is Barbican (4-minute walk on the Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines). Old Street (Northern), Moorgate (Northern, Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Elizabeth line), Farringdon (Elizabeth, Thameslink) and St Paul's (Central) are all within a 7–12 minute walk. Bank, Liverpool Street, King's Cross and Euston are 15–20 minutes by Tube. To book, call 020 7253 9691 or visit our booking page.
