Travel destination
Palawan, Cebu and island-hopping across more than seven thousand islands, often a long way from a hospital.
The Philippines travel health centres on food-and-water illness, dengue and rabies, which is a significant risk. Hepatitis A and typhoid come up for most travellers, with Japanese encephalitis for longer rural stays. Malaria is limited to certain rural islands such as Palawan and parts of Mindanao. We match advice to your route.
The Philippines, across thousands of islands from Manila to Palawan and the Visayas, varies a lot by island and how you travel.
Your pharmacist matches the current advice to your route at South London Clinic.
Vaccines
A starting point, not a prescription. What you actually need depends on where exactly you're going, what you'll be doing, how long for and what you've already had — a pharmacist confirms all of it at your appointment.
What to check before you fly
No vaccination certificate is routinely required for UK travellers going directly to Philippines. A record of polio vaccination may be required if you are staying longer than four weeks. We will check the current requirement for your dates. Entry requirements change — we confirm the current rules for your exact itinerary at your appointment.
Bites, risk and tablets
Malaria risk changes by region, altitude and season, and depends on exactly where you are going and when. We check the current TravelHealthPro country advice against your itinerary at your appointment, and talk you through bite avoidance and, where it is needed, antimalarial tablets.
Give yourself enough time
Ideally see us six to eight weeks before you travel, as some vaccines are given as a course over several weeks. A rabies course runs over about three to four weeks, so start that one early. Travelling sooner than that? Book anyway — there is usually still something worth doing.
Manila and the main resort islands are a different picture from rural Palawan, Mindanao or a long island-hopping trip. Where you go and the season shape what you need, so we start from your itinerary at your South London Clinic consultation.
Hepatitis A and typhoid come up for most travellers because both spread through food and water; the NHS lists them among common recommendations. Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis and rabies come in for longer, rural or repeated trips, plus a routine vaccine check.
Rabies is a significant risk in the Philippines, one of the higher-burden countries in the region, so any bite, scratch or lick needs urgent care and pre-travel doses are worth discussing for rural, long or animal-contact trips.
Dengue is common and rises in the rainy season, spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes, so bite avoidance matters year-round. Malaria risk is limited to certain rural islands such as Palawan and parts of Mindanao rather than Manila or the main resorts; the TravelHealthPro Philippines advice sets out where, which we check. Japanese encephalitis is a consideration for longer rural stays.
Six to eight weeks ahead where possible so any courses can be completed.
Q: Is rabies a risk in the Philippines?
A: Yes, a significant one, so any bite needs urgent care and pre-travel doses are worth discussing.
Q: Do I need malaria tablets for the Philippines?
A: Only for certain rural islands such as Palawan and parts of Mindanao. We check your route.
Q: Which vaccines for the Philippines?
A: Hepatitis A and typhoid for most, with hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis and rabies for longer or rural trips.
Who you'll see
Superintendent Pharmacist & Independent Prescriber
Rafay has been a pharmacist for more than 12 years and runs the travel clinic at Hills Pharmacy. He'll go through where you're going, what you'll be doing and what you've already had, then explain in plain language what's worth having for your trip and what isn't.
GPhC registration 2240995
Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, South London SE11 4HQ — GPhC premises 1093041 (Marlborough UK Limited)
Check on the GPhC registerYes, a significant one; it is among the higher-burden countries in the region. Any bite, scratch or lick needs urgent care, and pre-travel doses are worth discussing at South London Clinic for rural, long or animal-contact trips.
Only for certain rural islands such as Palawan and parts of Mindanao, not Manila or the main resorts. Your pharmacist checks the current advice against your route.
Hepatitis A and typhoid for most travellers, with hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis and rabies for longer, rural or repeated trips, plus a routine vaccine check.
Yes, particularly in the rainy season, so daytime bite avoidance matters. There is no preventive tablet.
Book a travel appointment and a pharmacist will go through your itinerary with you — where you're going, what you'll be doing and what you've already had — then tell you what's worth having and what isn't.
Vaccines and antimalarial tablets are prescription only medicines. Suitability is assessed at your consultation — nothing is sold or supplied without it.
Book an appointment
Appointments are with a pharmacist at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane — free parking nearby.
What to bring: a list of any medicines you take, and any records that are relevant to what you're coming in for.
Book an appointmentSouth London Clinic at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, South London, Lambeth, SE11 4HQ · Free parking nearby
Bookings for this clinic are taken by phone and email. Give us a call during opening hours and we'll go through the times that are free.
Opening hours
Appointments are subject to availability. If you are travelling, call as early as you can — some travel vaccines need a course started in advance.
Where to find us
The clinic is inside Hills Pharmacy on High Street. Come in through the shop and tell the counter you're here for an appointment.
Address
South London Travel Clinic at Hills Pharmacy99 Kennington LaneOpening hours
Clinic appointments run within these hours. Bank holiday hours can differ — please call before travelling in.
South London Travel Clinic at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, Lambeth, SE11 4HQ