At Boots, we have advice, products & services for travel from vaccinations to minimising jet lag
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Travel health advice
As a parent/guardian, we appreciate it can be an anxious time to bring your child to have their vaccination, and the tips below may help make your child’s vaccination appointment go as smoothly as possible.
Pre-appointment
Have a discussion with your child so they are aware they will be visiting the Pharmacy to see a Healthcare Professional for their vaccination.
Ensure to have an open discussion, listening to their thoughts including any concerns they may have ahead of their vaccination, to try to reassure them. Any concerns can be discussed further with the Healthcare Professional at the start of the appointment.
Dress your child in loose or short sleeves as they will usually have their vaccination into their upper arm.
Plan your journey to the appointment in advance, allowing yourself plenty of time so that you are not rushing; this could help ensure that your child doesn’t feel stressed or anxious.
Consider a distraction technique: think of your child’s favourite book, toy, blanket or song that may help to distract them during the appointment. Where applicable, bring this to the appointment.
During the appointment
It is natural to be worried when you are taking your child to receive a vaccination. Try to remain calm. If you are feeling anxious, your child may pick up on this.
Comfort your child with the distraction technique of your choosing. This will help them to focus on you and not solely on the vaccination.
Listen carefully to the Healthcare Professional and follow any instructions regarding positioning/holding your child to maintain safety for you, your child and the Healthcare Professional. This will also make your child feel comfortable and safe.
Ask any questions you may have and if you don’t understand anything, please ask for clarification.
Try to keep your child as calm as possible with your distraction technique or by discussing plans for the rest of the day. Smiling and making eye contact with your child is likely to make them feel safe and that everything is ok.
Post appointment
Once your child has received the vaccination, it is common especially in younger children for them to be upset. Be supportive of them. Hold and cuddle your child. A soothing voice, combined with praise will help to reassure your child.
It’s common for children to suffer from certain travel illnesses when you go away.
Sickness or diarrhoea
If your child is experiencing any symptoms of sickness or diarrhoea, keep them hydrated with plenty of fluid.
You should seek medical attention if your child:
• Has more than six episodes of diarrhoea in 24 hours
• Has passed blood or mucous (slime) in their stools
• Keeps vomiting, has a fever or severe tummy pain
• Has diarrhoea for more than seven days
If your baby has vomited three times or more in 24 hours, or if they are under 12 months with diarrhoea and you are worried, seek medical attention.
Bites & stings
For protection and relief from bites and stings, you can find specially formulated insect-repellent lotions for kids and antihistamines suitable for children. Speak to your pharmacist to find out what is suitable for your child.
Sunburn
Protecting children from the sun and sunburn is incredibly important when you travel, as babies and young children can become ill during very hot weather. Keep babies cool and protected by the sun and out of direct sunlight and apply a sun cream with a sun protection factor of at least SPF50.
There are a number of products to help make travelling with a toddler or child easier for you, it's recommended to pack a children’s first aid kit.
If you are travelling with a baby, there are also products available to help you continue with your daily feeding routine without disruption, such as sterilising tablets and kits. Find more advice on travelling with children and babies here.
Looking after your feet can lower the risk of having a fall, reduce the risk of infections and relieve pain. Before travelling you may want to treat any existing foot conditions you have, such as athletes’ foot, cracked or hard skin or foot odour.
If you have a wart or verruca and will be using a swimming pool, cover them with a plaster to prevent the virus from spreading to other people – as this is more likely to happen when skin is wet or damaged. If you develop a wart or verruca once you return home from your trip, your pharmacist can advise you on treatments which are available, such as creams, plasters and sprays.
You’re more likely to develop a fungal nail infection when your feet are constantly warm and damp, so if you’re travelling somewhere with a warm climate, aim to keep your feet clean and dry and change your socks every day. Your pharmacist can help with advice and treatment for fungal nail infections.
Find more footcare advice here.
If you are due to have your menstrual period during your trip, you may be eligible to access treatment to delay your period via the Boots Online Doctor Period Delay Tablets Service.2 As periods are triggered by a drop in progesterone every month, the tablets prescribed via this service contain a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone and by taking these, the progesterone hormone levels remain high which can delay a period for up to 17 days.
Some people experience some side effects when taking period delay tablets, these may include some spotting, irregular bleeding, sore breasts, a lower sex drive and an upset stomach.
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a vein which usually occurs in the leg.
Symptoms include:
• Throbbing pain in one leg, usually in the calf or thigh when walking or standing up, this can occur in both legs but is rare
• Swelling in one leg, this can occur in both legs but is rare
• Warm skin around the painful area
• Red or darkened skin around the painful area
• Swollen veins that are hard or sore when you touch them
The annual incidence of deep vein thrombosis is estimated to be about 1 in 1000. However, the risk of developing it is higher during a flight or any other type of journey that is longer than three hours. This is due to prolonged seating and immobility (not moving).
To reduce your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis on a long journey, wear loose clothing and walk around where possible. You should also drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol. You may want to try a pair of flight socks with compression levels to help reduce your risk too.
Deep vein thrombosis can be dangerous. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if you think you have a deep vein thrombosis.
Before travelling you should check what rules apply to taking your medicine out of the UK and into the country you’re visiting. In some cases, you may need to provide a letter of proof from the person who prescribed your medicine or a personal licence. Visit gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs to find out more.
Carry any medicines and medical equipment in their original packaging as these will contain the correct labels, and pack them in your hand luggage along with a copy of your prescription. If you’re travelling somewhere warm, get advice from your GP or pharmacist on how best to store your medicine.
Find out more information about how our pharmacists and pharmacy teams can help you with your prescription on the Boots Prescription Support page.
*Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
**Maloff protect 250/100mg Tablets contains Atovaquone & Proguanil. Always read the label.
***Piriteze Antihistamine Allergy Relief Syrup for Kids Sugar Free Banana Flavour 70ml contains cetirizine. Piriteze Antihistamine Allergy Relief tablets contains cetirizine. Always read the label.
‡Boots Pharmaceuticals Bite & Sting Relief Antihistamine Cream - 20g contains Mepyramine Maleate 2% w/w. Always read the label.
Incognito Zap-ease Instant Bite Relief. Not suitable for those fitted with a pacemaker or children under 2 years. Always read the label.
†You must be signed in & have an Advantage Card assigned to your account to be able to shop savings. Normal Advantage Card terms & conditions apply. Excludes in-store orders. No Price Advantage at airport stores. Read more Advantage Card offer terms and conditions here.
§For people aged two and over. Eligibility criteria apply. Subject to availability. Charges apply.
‖Contains hyoscine hydrobromide. Always read label.
1Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria may apply. Charges may apply.
2Access to treatment is subject to an online consultation with a clinician to assess suitability. Subject to availability. Charges apply. To use code on boots.com/onlinedoctor: You must be registered with boots.com/onlinedoctor and logged in when placing your order. Simply enter the promotional code BLACKFRIDAY20 at the checkout to redeem this offer. This offer is exclusive for Boots Online Doctor and cannot be used in-store or on boots.com. Cannot be used on the following treatment services: Morning After Pill, Cystitis, Depression & Anxiety, Acne, Bacterial Vaginosis, Chlamydia, Trichomonas, or Weight Loss. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Valid until 02/12/2024
3Allevia 120mg tablets contains fexofenadine. Always read the label. Cheapest 1/2 price.
9Eligibility criteria and charges apply. Available in selected pharmacies, subject to availability. Consultation fee may apply.
12Please note, free home postal delivery is only available to patients registered with a GP in England. However, the option to collect in-store is available for all customers registered with a participating GP anywhere in the UK. For patients registered with a participating GP surgery only. NHS Prescriptions charges may apply.
32Supply of treatment is subject to a suitability assessment. In most stores in England only. Subject to availability and store opening hours. Charges may apply.
