Students joining a university abroad, tourists and families visiting relatives, people going out in Jamaat, and pilgrims. Each needs something different. This page covers the vaccines, a medicine kit to carry, how to stay well on the way, help for first-time flyers, fear of flying, motion sickness and other common problems on a trip, and a video consultation with our doctors if you fall ill while you are away. It is also plain about the parts only a government centre or a visa doctor can do.
Your university sends an immunisation form. We check your records, give what is missing, and fill in the form with the brand, batch and date of every dose.
What you need depends on where you are going, for how long, and how you will travel. A week in London and a month in rural Southeast Asia are very different trips.
Long walks, shared sleeping and shared meals bring their own health risks, especially for people with diabetes or heart disease. Practical advice for each.
Some pilgrimages need a certificate, some need a fitness check, and some only need sensible vaccines. Hajj and Umrah have their own page.
On this page: Students · Holidays · Jamaat · Pilgrimages · Staying well · First flight · Fear of flying · Motion sickness · Common problems · Medicine kit · Video consultation · Questions
For a student visa, the visa office rarely asks for vaccines. Your university does. Most send an immunisation form, or ask you to upload one before you can register for classes. That form is the final word, because requirements differ between universities, and in the USA between states.
Bring the form to your consultation. The doctor checks it against your old records, gives what is missing, and fills in each dose with the vaccine name, batch number and date, signed with the doctor's registration number.
| Going to | What is usually asked | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). A tetanus booster (Td or Tdap) in the last 10 years. Meningococcal ACWY given on or after the 16th birthday, usually for students under 22 or 23 or those living in campus housing. Many also ask for a TB blood test (IGRA, often called QuantiFERON) done within a few months before arrival. | A meningococcal B vaccine does not count in place of ACWY. Some universities also ask for hepatitis B and chickenpox. Students who arrive with gaps can be blocked from registering. |
| UK | No vaccine is needed for the visa. If you will stay 6 months or more, you need a TB test certificate from a clinic approved by the UK Home Office. | We cannot issue the UK TB certificate; only the approved clinics can, and there is one in Hyderabad. The NHS advises two doses of MMR and meningococcal ACWY up to the 25th birthday. From 2026 the NHS also offers meningococcal B to new university students after they register with a GP there. |
| Canada, Australia, New Zealand | Many students from India need an immigration medical examination, often with a chest X-ray, for the visa. | Only a panel doctor approved by that government can do the visa medical. A report from any other doctor, including us, will not be accepted. Your university may still send its own vaccine form, which we can complete. |
| Medicine, nursing, dentistry and other health courses, anywhere | Usually the longest list: hepatitis B with a blood test showing you are protected, MMR, chickenpox, Tdap, influenza and TB screening, before clinical placements. | Hepatitis B takes months to complete and the protection test comes after the last dose. This is the group that most needs to start early. The full list is on our page for medical students and healthcare workers. |
Each links to its own page with every brand, what is in it and the price per dose.
| Vaccine | Why a student may need it | Per dose |
|---|---|---|
| Meningococcal ACWY 1 dose | Required by many US universities and advised in the UK. Shared housing is where meningitis spreads. | ₹4,432 |
| Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis 1 dose | Most forms want a booster within the last 10 years. | ₹1,538 |
| Hepatitis B 3 doses | Asked for by health courses and some US universities. Start it first, because it takes the longest. | ₹75 |
| Human papillomavirus By age | Not usually required, but recommended for young adults in most countries. Sensible to start before you leave. | ₹10,850 |
| Seasonal influenza 1 dose | Asked for by health courses. Useful for anyone arriving at the start of a northern winter. | ₹2,688 |
| Typhoid and hepatitis A 1 dose each | For students going to Africa, Southeast Asia or South America, or travelling widely in the holidays. | ₹2,353 and ₹2,320 |
Growing up in India does not mean you are protected against everything you may meet abroad, and many adults have never had a booster since school. The doctor asks three things: where you are going, for how long, and whether you will be in cities or in the countryside.
| Destination | Usually worth having | Ask about |
|---|---|---|
| USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Gulf cities | Nothing extra is required. Make sure your tetanus booster, influenza and MMR are up to date. Measles outbreaks have been reported in parts of Europe and North America. | Your routine adult vaccines if you have diabetes, heart, kidney or lung disease, or are over 50. |
| Southeast Asia Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and others | Typhoid and hepatitis A, for food and water. | Rabies before trips with animals, trekking or diving far from a hospital. Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays; we do not hold it. |
| Africa | Typhoid and hepatitis A. A yellow fever certificate for many countries, and to come back into India from them. | Meningococcal ACWY for parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Polio vaccine for the countries listed further down. Malaria prevention, which is tablets, not a vaccine. |
| South America | Typhoid and hepatitis A. Yellow fever for some regions. | Rabies for remote travel. Malaria prevention for some areas. |
| Longer stays anywhere a month or more | Hepatitis B, if you are not already protected. | Rabies, if you will be far from medical care. |
A Jamaat trip is different from a holiday. You walk a great deal, sleep on the floor of a masjid with many others, eat from a shared kitchen, and may be far from your own doctor for 40 days or 4 months. Most problems we see after a Jamaat trip are avoidable with a little planning.
| Vaccine | Why | Per dose |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal influenza | Coughs and colds spread fast when many people sleep in one hall. | ₹2,688 |
| Typhoid and hepatitis A | Shared cooking and water from many sources, especially on long trips and in villages. | ₹2,353 and ₹2,320 |
| Tetanus booster | If your last one was more than 10 years ago. Long walks mean cuts and blisters. | ₹1,538 |
| Hepatitis B | For anyone not already protected, and for those who shave their head with a shared razor. | ₹75 |
| Pneumococcal | For those aged 65 and above, or younger with diabetes, heart, lung or kidney disease. Chest infections are the commonest serious illness on these trips. | ₹5,555 |
| Meningococcal ACWY | Worth considering for large gatherings and for Jamaat to Africa. Required if the trip includes Umrah. | ₹4,432 |
Hajj and Umrah have the strictest vaccine rules of any pilgrimage from India, so they have their own page. For the rest, what matters more is often a fitness check than a vaccine.
| Pilgrimage | What is required | What we suggest |
|---|---|---|
| Hajj and Umrah | Mandatory Meningococcal ACWY certificate, from age one. | See the Hajj and Umrah page for the certificate rules and the vaccines worth adding. |
| Ziyarat Karbala, Najaf, Arbaeen, Mashhad, Qom | We know of no vaccine that Iraq or Iran currently requires from Indian pilgrims. Check with your group organiser, as rules change. | Influenza, typhoid and hepatitis A. Meningococcal ACWY for Arbaeen crowds. Heat and very long walks: see the advice on feet and diabetes above. |
| Amarnath Yatra | Mandatory A Compulsory Health Certificate, issued only by a doctor or hospital on the Shrine Board's authorised list for your state, and only on or after the date the Board sets each year. Age 13 to 70. Women more than six weeks pregnant cannot go. | We are not on the authorised list, so we cannot issue this certificate. We can do a fitness check before you go, so you know where you stand: ECG, echocardiogram, sugar and lung function. |
| Kailash Mansarovar Yatra | Mandatory Medical tests in Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs' own hospitals, after selection. Age 18 to 70 and BMI 27 or less. The Ministry advises against the yatra for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or asthma. | A check here before you apply, so you are not turned back in Delhi. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before you apply at all. |
| Char Dham, Kedarnath, Badrinath | Uttarakhand asks pilgrims from other states to get a full medical check-up 2 to 3 weeks before. Above 2,700 metres, people with heart disease, diabetes or lung disease are at real risk. | A fitness check, and a written plan for your medicines at altitude. Go slowly, rest on the way, and come down if you feel breathless, very tired or confused. |
| Sabarimala | No certificate or vaccine is required. | The climb is steep and hard on the heart, often after days of fasting. If you are over 50, or have diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, get a fitness check first. |
| Nashik Simhastha Kumbh July to September 2027 | No certificate or vaccine is required. | Typhoid and hepatitis A for crowded water and food, influenza, and a tetanus booster if due. |
The fitness check usually means our Cardiac Profile (ECG, 2D echocardiogram, a sugar test and a consultation with Dr. Muzammil to explain it, ₹999), and spirometry (₹700) if you have breathing trouble or are going to high altitude.
Polio vaccine for eleven countries. Since 1 May 2024 the Government of India requires a dose of oral polio vaccine at least four weeks before departure for travel between India and Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The certificate is valid for one year. It is issued by government officers, including at authorised yellow fever centres, not by private clinics. In Hyderabad that centre is the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Narayanguda.
Yellow fever, going and coming back. Many countries in Africa and South America ask for a yellow fever certificate on entry, and India asks for it when you come back from them. Without it you can be held in quarantine on arrival. No private clinic in India can give this vaccine. Our yellow fever page has the government centre's days, fee and booking route.
Many of our patients, and many pilgrims, fly for the first time in their fifties or sixties. Flying is safe for almost everyone. A little preparation makes the day much easier.
Fear of flying is common, and it is treatable. So is anxiety about travel in general: crowds, being far from home, or a long journey alone. If it is stopping you from travelling, or makes the journey miserable, it is worth seeing someone before you go rather than just pushing through.
Nausea, vomiting, sweating and dizziness in a car, bus, boat or plane happen when your eyes and your inner ear send the brain different messages about movement. It is very common, especially in children and in people who get migraines, and most of it can be reduced.
Tablets for motion sickness work best when taken before the journey starts, not once you are already sick. Many cause drowsiness, so you must not drive after taking them, and some are not suitable for children, older people, pregnant women, or people with glaucoma or prostate problems. Ask your doctor which one suits you, and add it to your SOS kit with the timing written down.
Most travel illness is minor and settles in a day or two. What matters is knowing which signs mean you should stop managing it yourself.
| Problem | What to do | See a doctor if |
|---|---|---|
| Loose motions | The most common travel illness. Drink ORS after every loose stool, keep eating light food, and rest. Most cases settle in two to three days. | There is blood in the stool, a high fever, severe stomach pain, you cannot keep fluids down, or it lasts more than three days. Sooner if you are elderly, pregnant, or have diabetes or kidney disease. |
| Constipation | Very common with travel, new food and long sitting. Drink more water, eat fruit, and walk when you can. Keep to your usual toilet time where possible. | There is severe stomach pain, vomiting, or no stool and no wind for several days. |
| Jet lag | Change to local time as soon as you arrive: eat and sleep at local times, and get daylight in the morning. Avoid long naps on the first day. It usually settles in a few days. | Your sleep is badly upset for more than a week. With insulin or timed medicines, ask before you travel how to shift your doses. |
| Heat exhaustion | Heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache. Move to shade or a cool room, drink water or ORS, loosen clothing and cool the skin with wet cloth. | The person becomes confused, stops sweating, has a very high temperature or faints. That is heatstroke, an emergency. Call for help and cool them while you wait. |
| Altitude sickness | Headache, nausea, poor sleep and tiredness above about 2,500 metres. Do not go higher until it settles. Rest, drink water, avoid alcohol. | You are breathless at rest, confused, unsteady on your feet, or have a cough with frothy spit. Go down at once; this is an emergency. |
| Swollen feet | Mild swelling of both feet after a long flight or bus ride is common and settles with walking and raising the legs. | One leg is swollen, painful, red or warm, or you are breathless or have chest pain. These can be signs of a clot. |
| Cold, cough and sore throat | Rest, warm fluids, steam and paracetamol for fever. Wash hands often and cover coughs, especially in a group. | You are breathless, have chest pain, a fever for more than three days, or have diabetes, heart or lung disease and are getting worse. |
| Sunburn, rashes and fungal infections | Use sunscreen and cover up. Keep skin folds and feet dry, change socks daily, and do not share towels. | The skin blisters badly, a rash spreads fast, or a wound becomes red, hot, swollen or starts to smell. |
| Urine infection | Long journeys, little water and holding urine make it more likely, especially in women. Drink enough and do not hold urine for long. | You have burning, frequent urine, fever or back pain. Do not ignore it, particularly with diabetes. |
| Lost or forgotten medicines | This is why you carry a prescription, a list of your medicines with their generic names, and extra stock in two different bags. | You have run out of insulin, blood thinners, epilepsy, heart or transplant medicines. Get help the same day, and book a video consultation with us if you need advice on what to ask for. |
Any fever within three months of returning from Africa, Southeast Asia or South America, or from a pilgrimage with large crowds, needs a doctor. Tell the doctor exactly where you went. Malaria, dengue and typhoid can all start weeks after the trip, and malaria in particular can become serious quickly.
A small kit saves you a search for a pharmacy in a strange city at night. There are two parts: things anyone can carry, and a personal SOS kit that only a doctor should put together for you.
At your travel consultation, the doctor writes a short list of medicines for problems that are common on your kind of trip, such as loose motions with fever, a chest or urine infection, an allergy, vomiting, or breathlessness at altitude. For each one you get, in writing:
The kit depends on where you are going, your age, your health and the medicines you already take, so it is different for every person. That is why we do not publish one list for everyone.
If you fall ill on the trip and are not sure whether to start something from your kit, or whether you need a hospital, a doctor from our team can see you by video. You can also book one before you leave, to go through your kit if you could not come in person.
Six to eight weeks before you leave is ideal. It leaves time for courses that need two or three doses, for the ten-day gap some certificates need, and for a fitness check if you need one. If you are leaving sooner, come anyway: most single-dose vaccines still help, and the doctor will tell you what can and cannot be done in the time left.
Fees are the same as for every adult vaccine here: the consultation, an administration fee that is lower for each extra vaccine at the same visit, and the vaccine at MRP. All of it is listed under fees and prices.
Yes. Bring the form or the upload instructions to your consultation. The doctor completes it for the doses given here and for older doses that your records prove, and signs it with a registration number. We cannot fill in doses that there is no record of.
No. These are done only by clinics and panel doctors approved by those governments, and a report from any other doctor is not accepted. Your visa instructions name where to go. We can still give your vaccines and complete your university's own form.
No. Both certificates are issued only by government centres. In Hyderabad that is the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Narayanguda. Our yellow fever page explains how to book it.
No. Only doctors and hospitals on the Shrine Board's authorised list for each state can issue it. We can do a fitness check before you go, so you know whether you are likely to be passed.
Everyone can carry paracetamol, ORS, an antacid, plasters and an antiseptic. Medicines for infections, allergies, vomiting or altitude should be chosen by a doctor for you, with written instructions on when to start each one. That is the personal SOS kit we write at a travel consultation.
Yes. A doctor from our team can see you by video for ₹500. Book it by WhatsApp to reception. It is not for emergencies: for chest pain, breathlessness, fainting or confusion, go to the nearest hospital where you are.
Reach the airport early, keep your medicines and prescription in your hand bag, and ask the airline for wheelchair help when you book if walking long distances is hard. If you have had a heart attack, stroke or surgery recently, or have serious lung disease, check with your doctor before you book.
Yes. Fear of flying responds well to treatment, but it needs a few weeks, so do not leave it to the last day. Our psychiatrist, Dr. Abdullah Kamlur, sees people for this, in person or by video. Do not try a calming or sleeping tablet for the first time on the flight.
Sit in the steadiest seat, look far ahead at the horizon, do not read or use your phone while moving, get fresh air and eat light before the journey. If you still get sick, ask your doctor for a tablet to take before the journey starts; many cause drowsiness, so do not drive after taking one.
See a doctor and tell them exactly where you travelled. A fever within three months of returning from Africa, Southeast Asia, South America or a crowded pilgrimage can be malaria, dengue or typhoid, which can start weeks after the trip. Walk in to Caspian Healthcare at any hour.
Not entirely. Most single-dose vaccines can still be given, and some multi-dose courses can be started and finished abroad. Come as soon as you can and bring your form.
Guidance this page reflects. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Requirement of Polio Vaccination for international travellers (25 April 2024); UK Home Office list of approved tuberculosis test clinics in India (updated 21 September 2026); UCAS and NHS guidance on vaccines for students starting university in 2026; published immunisation requirements of US universities for international students; Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board guidelines and authorised doctors list, 2026; Ministry of External Affairs eligibility criteria for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra; Government of Uttarakhand health advisory for the Char Dham Yatra, 2026. Requirements change, and every university and pilgrimage authority sets its own. Confirm with your university, your visa instructions, your group organiser and the embassy of the country you are visiting. Last updated 15 October 2026.
Vaccines and the medicines in a personal SOS kit are prescription medicines. Suitability, timing and contraindications are determined by a doctor after individual assessment. This page is general information about a clinical service and is not a prescription, a recommendation to purchase any product, or a substitute for consultation.
Prices shown are the manufacturer's maximum retail price per dose of the product we hold, as listed on each vaccine page. They are revised from time to time, and your actual cost is confirmed before anything is administered.
Bring your travel dates and, if you are a student, your university's form. We will work backwards from your departure, tell you what is required and what is optional, write your SOS kit, and give you a record of every dose.
Walk in any day we are open and a primary care physician will see you. No appointment is needed.