Most people assume Europe needs no vaccines, and for a short city break in northern or central Europe that is often close to the truth. The bigger point is easy to miss. The NHS advises that all travellers, including children, are recommended to be up to date with standard vaccinations such as measles before they go (NHS). So the honest answer is not "nothing." It is "check your routine vaccines, then look at where in Europe you are actually going and what you will be doing there."
Below we walk through what is worth checking, when it matters, and where a quick risk assessment helps.
Schengen, the EU, and the "no vaccines needed" myth
There are no vaccine entry requirements for UK travellers crossing into the Schengen area or the wider EU for tourism. No certificate is asked for at the border. That is exactly why the myth persists: people equate "no rule at the border" with "no health risk inside." The two are different things. Border policy protects paperwork. Vaccines protect you. The diseases that matter in Europe spread through measles outbreaks, contaminated food and water, and tick bites, none of which check your passport.
Routine UK vaccines worth checking first
Before any travel vaccine, confirm your routine UK immunisations are current. The polio booster for travellers is given as part of the combined Td/IPV vaccine, alongside tetanus and diphtheria, so one dose covers all three (NHS). If your last tetanus and polio cover was a decade or more ago, a booster before travel is sensible.
Measles is the one to take seriously
Measles is the clearest reason the "Europe is safe" assumption breaks down. Outbreaks have continued across several European countries including France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The World Health Organization recorded 127,350 measles cases in the European Region for 2024, double the number reported for 2023 and the highest since 1997 (UK Health Security Agency). UKHSA describes measles as a highly infectious disease that spreads rapidly among the unvaccinated and can lead to complications including ear and chest infections and inflammation of the brain. Its advice is direct: anyone travelling for summer holidays or to visit family, especially parents of young children, should check that all members of their family have received both their MMR vaccines (UKHSA). The risk is higher still if you are staying with friends or family and mixing closely with local people (UKHSA).
Hepatitis A in parts of southern and eastern Europe
Hepatitis A is usually transmitted through food or water contaminated by human faeces, or by direct contact with an infectious person. The risk to travellers depends on factors such as length and frequency of travel to areas with poor sanitation and standards of food and water hygiene, and the vaccine is recommended for travellers intending to visit areas where the disease is common (TravelHealthPro). This is not theoretical in Europe. TravelHealthPro reports that between January and October 2025 a total of 2,482 hepatitis A cases were reported in Slovakia (TravelHealthPro). If you are heading to affected regions, ask about the hepatitis A vaccination.
Tick-borne encephalitis for forested and outdoor travel
If your trip involves the outdoors, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the European vaccine most often overlooked. It is spread mainly by the bite of an infected tick and, more rarely, by eating or drinking unpasteurised raw dairy products. Areas with known risk extend across central, eastern and northern Europe (TravelHealthPro), so trips to forested parts of countries like Austria can carry a low but real risk. Early spring through to late autumn are generally the higher-risk months. The vaccine is recommended for travellers visiting affected areas, including forests, grassland and city parks, whose activities put them at increased risk, such as camping, fieldwork, hiking and hunting, and it is given as a course of three doses. For everyone visiting risk areas, tick bite avoidance matters too: wear appropriate clothing, use an effective repellent, check your clothes and whole body for ticks regularly, remove any ticks promptly, and avoid unpasteurised dairy (TravelHealthPro).
Food and water hygiene
Good hygiene habits reduce several of the risks above. Poor food and water hygiene can cause cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and travellers' diarrhoea, the last affecting between 20 and 60 percent of travellers from high-income countries visiting low-income areas (TravelHealthPro). The practical advice is straightforward: choose recently prepared, thoroughly cooked food served piping hot, pick fruit you can peel yourself, stick to drinks in unopened factory-produced cans or bottles with intact seals, avoid untreated tap water, bring water to a rolling boil where needed, and wash your hands with soap and clean water.
When boosters matter and when to plan
Timing is the part travellers most often get wrong. The NHS advises getting advice from a travel health professional at least four to six weeks before you travel, because some vaccinations involve a course of doses and others take time to build protection (NHS). Boosters matter when your last dose of tetanus, diphtheria or polio is out of date, when you have had only one MMR dose rather than two, or when a multi-dose course like TBE needs to be started early enough to finish before departure. You can see our full travel vaccinations options and our travel vaccination pricing to plan ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any vaccines for a beach holiday in Spain or Italy?
For a standard package holiday there are no entry-requirement vaccines, but you should still be up to date with routine NHS immunisations, including two MMR doses, because measles outbreaks have continued in countries including Spain and Italy (UKHSA).
Is hepatitis A really a risk within Europe?
Yes, in parts of eastern Europe in particular. TravelHealthPro reports that Slovakia recorded 2,482 hepatitis A cases between January and October 2025 (TravelHealthPro). The vaccine is recommended where the disease is common.
Who should consider the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine?
It is recommended for travellers visiting affected areas of central, eastern and northern Europe, including forests, grassland and city parks, whose activities put them at increased risk, such as camping, fieldwork, hiking and hunting. The course is three doses (TravelHealthPro).
How far in advance should I book?
The NHS recommends seeking travel health advice at least four to six weeks before you travel, because some vaccinations involve a course of doses and others take time to build protection (NHS).
Are these vaccines free on the NHS?
Some are. Cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid, and the combined Td/IPV (tetanus, diphtheria and polio) are among the travel vaccines available free on the NHS through GP surgeries after a risk assessment (NHS). Availability and waiting times vary, which is where a clinic appointment can help.
Book a travel health consultation
Europe is rarely "no vaccines needed." It is "check the right ones for where you are going." A short risk assessment confirms which routine boosters and selective vaccines apply to your trip and your plans. To get a clear, personalised answer, book a travel health consultation with our pharmacist-led team in Rochdale.
Sources
- NHS: Travel vaccination advice
- NHS: Available travel vaccines
- UK Health Security Agency: Measles outbreaks continue with risk of holidays causing surge
- UK Health Security Agency: Travellers urged to check on vaccinations to protect against risks
- TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC): Hepatitis A
- TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC): Tick-borne encephalitis
- TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC): Food and water hygiene
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