The typhoid vaccine helps to protect you against typhoid fever. Typhoid vaccine side effects are uncommon and usually mild, such as headache and fever. One dose of the typhoid injection lasts for three years, and provides full typhoid fever protection two weeks after you are vaccinated.
The typhoid vaccine lasts three years for most people. If you still need protection after this time, you can have a booster dose. The booster dose lasts an additional three years.
The typhoid jab should be given at least two weeks before you travel, as this is when the greatest protection begins.
If you need the typhoid vaccine, it is therefore recommended that you book a consultation in advance to ensure you will be fully protected while travelling.
Like all medicines and vaccines, the typhoid vaccine can cause side effects, but most people do not experience any at all.
If you do experience typhoid vaccine side effects, they are very unlikely to be serious.
Typhoid vaccine side effects can include:
pain in and around the injection site
fainting while receiving the injection
fever
headache
asthma
diarrhoea or stomach ache
sickness or nausea
joint or muscle pain
tiredness
rash
If your typhoid vaccine side effects do not improve, or they become worse, you should talk to your doctor.
In general, it is recommended that people travelling to a risk area get the typhoid vaccine. Check if there is a current risk of typhoid in the country you are travelling to.
The typhoid vaccine is especially recommended to people who have a greater risk of becoming infected. These people include those travelling to parts of the world with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.
Moreover, those at greater risk also include young children. This may be because their immune system, which fights off infection, is still developing. It is therefore also recommended that children get the typhoid vaccine, which can be given to everyone who is two years old and over.
But despite the fact that most people can have the typhoid vaccine, it can cause problems for some. This includes people who are:
allergic to any of the ingredients of the typhoid vaccine
currently unwell with a fever
diagnosed with a blood disorder such as haemophilia
suffering from a poor or reduced immune system
pregnant or breastfeeding
planning to have a baby
If you belong to any of these groups or you are unsure whether you should get the typhoid vaccine, you can book a free telephone consultation with one of our prescribing nurses for a personal assessment.
If you may be at risk of typhoid, it is recommended that you check whether you need the vaccine, as the disease can be fatal. For the cost of the typhoid vaccine, see below.
Anne Marie Major, Independent Nurse Prescriber
June 25, 2019