Tourists ignorant about travel jabs

British tourists are vague about vaccines needed for foreign travel, according to a poll.

As many as 56% of travellers did not know which countries they required jabs or medicine for, the survey by Post Office Travel Insurance found.

And 36% could not remember when they had last been given vaccines, while 31% did not know what they had been vaccinated against.

Slovenia and Bulgaria were the countries tourists were most likely to be confused about, with 94% unaware tetanus and hepatitis A vaccines are recommended.

The poll of 2,023 adults also revealed travellers are particularly ignorant about health requirements for Russia and Thailand.

Most tourists are also unaware that most of the vaccines they need for foreign travel are free on the NHS.

Rachel Croft, head of Post Office Travel Insurance, said: “It is worrying to see that so many of us are careless when it comes to checking whether vaccines or preventative medicines such as malaria tablets are recommended before visiting a destination.

“Not only are holidaymakers potentially risking their health, but they also risk invalidating their insurance policy should they become ill and need to seek medical treatment.”