Philippines travel vaccines, sorted close to home
Island-hopping in Palawan, diving in Cebu or visiting family in Manila? Pop into Davyhulme Pharmacy in Urmston and we'll have your travel health ready well before you fly from Manchester.
1 current health alert for Philippines
With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is a different sort of trip for everyone — the limestone lagoons of El Nido and Coron, the rice terraces of Banaue, world-class diving around Cebu, Bohol and Apo Reef, the beaches of Boracay and Siargao, and the buzz of Manila. Plenty of our Urmston travellers are also flying out to see family and friends, which brings its own health bits worth thinking about.
Whatever your version of the Philippines looks like, a quick travel-health chat before you go takes the guesswork out of it. We're a community pharmacy on Davyhulme Road, a short run from Manchester Airport, so you can get your jabs near home rather than heading into the city. Tell our pharmacist your islands, how long you're away and whether you're sticking to the resorts or getting properly rural, and we'll build a plan around your actual trip — ideally four to six weeks ahead, though it's always worth a call if it's sooner.
Vaccines to think about for the Philippines
This is a starting point rather than a fixed list — what you genuinely need depends on your islands, how long you're staying and what you'll be doing, so the pharmacist confirms it all in your consultation.
Most travellers
Hepatitis A
Spread through contaminated food and water, which is easily picked up across the islands. Recommended for almost everyone.
Most travellers
Typhoid
Another food-and-water infection. Worth having, particularly for longer stays, rural areas or visiting family.
Most travellers
Tetanus, diphtheria & polio
A good moment to top up your combined booster if it's been ten years or more since your last one.
Some travellers
Hepatitis B
Considered for longer trips, healthcare or charity work, adventure sports, tattoos, or anyone who might need medical care while away.
Some travellers
Rabies
The Philippines is a high-risk rabies country and stray dogs are common. Sensible for longer trips, cyclists, runners and remote areas where treatment is hard to reach.
For some trips
Japanese encephalitis
A mosquito-borne risk in rural, rice-growing areas — mainly for longer or repeated rural stays, especially in the wetter months.
The usual shortlist, and who needs the extras
For a fairly typical Philippines holiday — Manila, an island or two, some beach and reef time — most travellers are looking at hepatitis A and typhoid, plus a tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster if theirs has lapsed. That covers the everyday food, water and cut-and-graze risks. The extras — hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis — move up the list for longer stays, rural and adventurous travel, work placements, or trips visiting friends and relatives. Rather than jab for the sake of it, our pharmacist weighs each one against your route and plans, so bring your dates and a rough itinerary.
Dengue, Zika and beating the bites
Dengue is the headline mosquito risk in the Philippines. It's present all year, including in towns and cities, the numbers run high in the rainy season, and the mosquitoes that carry it bite during the day. There's no routine jab we'd give for it here, so day-and-night bite avoidance is your best defence: a good DEET-based repellent, loose long sleeves and trousers, and screened rooms, nets or air conditioning where you can. Zika has also been reported in the Philippines. It's usually mild, but because it can affect a pregnancy, anyone who is pregnant or trying to conceive should have a chat with us before booking, as current advice may be to reconsider travel. The same daytime precautions help against Zika and dengue alike.
Malaria & mosquito bites
Good news for most holidaymakers: malaria risk in the Philippines is low and very patchy, and there's no risk at all in the cities or on popular islands such as Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Leyte. For the great majority of trips, antimalarial tablets aren't recommended — solid bite avoidance is the priority. Where a little more thought is needed is rural areas below around 600 metres on Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro and Palawan, where there's a low risk. Even there, tablets are usually only considered for higher-risk itineraries; for many people bite avoidance is enough. Because it comes down to exactly where you're going, tell the pharmacist your islands and we'll give you a clear steer on whether tablets are worth it.
Yellow fever: when a certificate is actually needed
There's no yellow fever in the Philippines itself, so there's no health risk from it and you don't need the vaccine to protect yourself there. If you're flying straight from Manchester or anywhere in the UK, you won't need a certificate. The Philippines does, however, ask for a yellow fever certificate if you're arriving from — or have spent more than 12 hours in transit through — a country where yellow fever is a risk, such as parts of Africa or South America. So if the Philippines is one leg of a bigger multi-country trip, share your full route and we'll check whether the certificate rule applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
Almost certainly not. There's no malaria risk on Boracay or Cebu, so tablets generally aren't recommended for that kind of island trip. We'd still suggest good bite avoidance because dengue is around day and night, and the pharmacist will confirm based on your exact plans.
Not if you're travelling directly from the UK, as there's no yellow fever here. The Philippines only asks for a certificate if you're arriving from, or have transited more than 12 hours through, a country where yellow fever is a risk. Bring your full itinerary if you're visiting several countries and we'll check it for you.
It can. Travellers visiting friends and relatives often stay longer, eat in family homes and head into more rural areas than a typical holidaymaker, which can nudge things like typhoid, hepatitis B and rabies up the list. Let us know your plans and we'll tailor it.
Four to six weeks before you fly is ideal, as some vaccines work best with a little lead time and a few, like rabies, are given as a short course. If your trip is sooner, don't write it off — there's usually still something worthwhile we can do, so just call the Urmston clinic on 0161 748 3016.
Yes — we look after families travelling together and do the consultation and vaccines here at Davyhulme Pharmacy, so there's no need to go into Manchester city centre. Bring any record of past jabs, including the children's red book, and we'll work out what everyone needs.
This information is grounded in NHS and TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) guidance and is for general information — not a substitute for a personal consultation. Your travel consultation is carried out by our pharmacist.
Heading to the Philippines?
Book a travel consultation at our Urmston clinic, or give us a ring and we'll talk through exactly what you need before you fly.