Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio Travel Booster

About this service

The combined diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster is the travel vaccination most people turn out to be due for without realising it. Most of us were vaccinated against all three as children, but protection fades, and a single injection at our Berkeley travel clinic brings you back up to date before you travel.

We review your vaccination history, assess your destination and activities, and check whether your destination has any polio exit requirements, so you leave with the right cover and the paperwork to match. We welcome travellers from Berkeley, Dursley, Cam, Sharpness, Thornbury and across Gloucestershire, and this can be given at the same appointment as your other travel vaccinations.

What this booster covers and why it matters

This is a combined booster protecting against diphtheria, tetanus and polio in a single injection. Most people in the UK were vaccinated against all three as children, but protection fades, and a booster is recommended if it is more than ten years since your last dose and you are travelling to an area where these infections still occur.

Diphtheria is a bacterial throat infection spread by coughs and sneezes and by close contact, and still occurs in parts of Africa, Asia, South America, the Middle East and eastern Europe. Tetanus enters the body through cuts, grazes and puncture wounds contaminated with soil or manure, and is a risk anywhere in the world, including at home. Polio has been eliminated from most of the world but still circulates in a small number of countries, and some countries require proof of a recent polio dose before you can leave if you have been staying there for four weeks or more, in which case the dose usually needs to have been given between four weeks and twelve months before departure. The combined vaccine is usually given from six years of age.

Who this service is for

How it works

A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.

What to expect at your appointment

Your appointment begins with a review of your vaccination history, so bring any records you have, and a sensible judgement where records are missing. We then carry out a travel health risk assessment covering your destination and activities, and a check of whether your destination has polio exit requirements.

• The injection into your upper arm
• A written record and, with your consent, a note to your GP
• This can be given at the same appointment as your other travel vaccinations

Aftercare and safety

A sore, red or slightly swollen arm for two or three days is the most common effect, sometimes with a mild headache or temperature. Clean any wound abroad thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice for deep or dirty wounds, animal bites or anything contaminated with soil.

• Keep your record safe and note the date your next booster is due in ten years
• Contact us if you develop anything that worries you after your appointment
• Call us on 01453 810316 if you have any questions before you travel

Frequently asked questions

How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment

Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.

Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages

Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.

• Berkeley
• Sharpness
• Newport
• Berkeley Heath
• Alkington
• Ham
• Stone
• Rockhampton
• Cam
• Dursley
• Slimbridge
• Cambridge
• Falfield
• Charfield
• Tortworth
• Cromhall
• Oldbury-on-Severn
• Wotton-under-Edge
• Thornbury
• Frampton on Severn
• Stonehouse
• Stroud
• Nailsworth
• Yate
• Chipping Sodbury
• Tetbury
• Gloucester

Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team

• Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
• Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
• Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
• This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
• If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.

Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.

Related services

Other services you may be interested in at Berkeley Pharmacy.

Speak to our pharmacy team about diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccination

Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.

Book a consultation Call 01453 810316

Address

14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB

Opening hours

Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)

Sat 9am–1pm

Sun Closed