Tetanus, Diphtheria & Polio Vaccine in Romford

Who needs the tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster?

These three come in one combined injection, and most UK adults have already had the course as part of the routine childhood schedule. The question is usually not whether you have ever had it — it is whether your booster is still in date. Most people genuinely do not know.

Check before you travel if:

• it has been more than 10 years since your last booster;
• you are heading somewhere with limited medical care, where a dirty wound would be hard to get treated;
• you are trekking, camping, cycling or working outdoors;
• you are going anywhere diphtheria still circulates, or where polio has been reported;
• you are not sure what you have had — which, again, is most people.

Guidance follows NaTHNaC and the UKHSA Green Book.

The course & schedule

One injection covers all three and lasts around 10 years. If you have never completed a primary course you may need more than one dose — we will check your history at the consultation and plan it around your travel date.

Tetanus isn't about rusty nails

Tetanus spores live in soil and enter through any break in the skin, including a graze or a scratch from a thorn. That is why it matters if you are going to be outdoors, or somewhere that treating a dirty wound would mean a long journey to a clinic.

Polio: the certificate rule

A handful of countries where poliovirus is still circulating require travellers staying longer than four weeks to show proof of a polio dose given between four weeks and 12 months before they leave. It is an exit requirement rather than an entry one, and it catches people out at the airport on the way home. If your trip is long or your route is unusual, ask us to check it.

Can I get this free on the NHS?

Possibly — and we would rather say so. The combined tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster is one of the travel vaccines the NHS funds at GP surgeries for eligible travellers, so if you have time, it is worth asking your practice first. We are here for when you do not have time, cannot get an appointment, or simply want it done alongside the rest of your travel vaccines in one visit.

Same-day & last-minute appointments

Travelling soon? Same-day and last-minute appointments are available at our Romford and Dagenham clinics where clinically appropriate. We also keep late-afternoon slots so you can get it done after work rather than taking a day off. Book online or call 01708 897617.

What it costs

See our booking page for current rates.

Getting your tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster in Romford

Brooks Pharmacy runs its travel clinic at 12 Chase Cross Road, Romford RM5 3PR — at the top of Collier Row, about five minutes north of Romford Market on the A1112. There is free patient parking on the door, and buses along Collier Row Road stop close by. Our second clinic is at 281 Wood Lane, Dagenham RM8 3NH, just off the A124 towards Barking. Both clinics book through the same team on 01708 897617, and there is no GP referral to arrange.

We serve Romford, Dagenham and East London — including Collier Row, Gidea Park, Hornchurch, Upminster, Harold Wood, Rainham, Elm Park, Becontree, Chadwell Heath, Barking and Ilford. Both sites are registered NHS community pharmacies (GPhC premises 1031352 in Romford and 1031154 in Dagenham) — see the Romford and Dagenham NHS profiles.

This page is written and clinically reviewed by the pharmacist team at Brooks Pharmacy, led by Superintendent Pharmacist Gurvinder Singh Sembhi (GPhC 2030374) with Ali Nuhu (GPhC 2222371), following NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro and NHS Fit for Travel guidance.