Travel vaccine
Children's Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection spread by tick bites in forested parts of Europe and Asia. Children playing outdoors in risk areas are naturally exposed to ticks, and a junior vaccine — given from 1 year of age — protects them for camping, hiking and outdoor family holidays.
Key facts
Who it's for
Children aged 1 to 15 spending time outdoors in forested risk areas (16+ have the adult vaccine)
Vaccination course
3 junior doses for long-term cover; 2 doses give good protection for a season
Minimum age
From 1 year
Protection
Good cover after 2 doses; a 3rd dose and boosters extend it
When it's a risk
Mainly spring to autumn, when ticks are active
Price
£60 per junior dose
What is Children's Tick-Borne Encephalitis?
TBE is caused by a virus passed on through the bite of an infected tick, picked up in forests, long grass and woodland edges — exactly the places children love to play. It can't be passed from person to person, and infections are often mild, but a proportion lead to inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), which can be serious at any age.
A children's (junior) formulation of the TBE vaccine is available for ages 1 to 15. It's recommended for children who'll be spending time outdoors during the tick season — roughly spring to autumn — in risk areas such as forested parts of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Baltic States and Scandinavia.
Risk areas
The same regions as for adults: forested parts of central, eastern and northern Europe — including popular family-holiday countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic and Scandinavia — plus Russia and parts of east Asia. Risk is greatest in rural, forested areas during the warmer months.
Risk for travellers
Children are often more exposed than adults: playing in long grass, building dens, sitting on the forest floor and walking with bare legs all raise the chance of a tick bite. Vaccination is recommended for children joining camping trips, forest holidays, hiking or summer camps in risk areas — alongside daily tick checks, which parents should do for younger children.
What are the symptoms of Children's Tick-Borne Encephalitis?
- Often no symptoms, or a mild flu-like illness at first
- Fever, headache and tiredness
- Muscle aches
- In some cases a second phase with high fever
- Neck stiffness, drowsiness or confusion if the brain is affected — seek urgent medical help
How does the Children's Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine work?
Children aged 1 to 15 have a junior formulation of the same inactivated (non-live) TBE vaccine used for adults. The course is the same: two doses give good protection for a season, a third extends it longer-term, and boosters follow if your child remains at risk. An accelerated schedule can be used when a trip is coming up quickly — we'll plan the right schedule for your family's travel dates at the appointment.
Book your appointment for Children's Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine right now.
Adults (16+): see the adult Tick-Borne Encephalitis vaccine
£70 per dose — parents can be vaccinated at the same family appointment.
Which children should have the TBE vaccine?
Vaccination is worth considering for children whose holiday will involve time outdoors in a risk area during tick season. That includes children who are:
- Camping, hiking or cycling with the family in forested parts of Europe
- Attending a summer camp or outdoor activity holiday in a risk area
- Visiting family in rural central, eastern or northern Europe over spring–autumn
- Likely to play in woods, long grass or meadows — as most children do
The children's vaccination course
The junior course mirrors the adult one: three doses in total. The first two doses give good protection for the season, and the third extends cover longer-term, with boosters if your child continues to visit risk areas.
If your trip is soon, an accelerated schedule can bring the first two doses closer together — book as early as you can and we'll fit the schedule to your travel dates.
Possible side effects
Side effects in children are usually mild and short-lived:
- Soreness, redness or swelling where the injection was given
- Tiredness, headache or muscle aches
- A raised temperature, more common in younger children after the first dose
- Serious reactions are uncommon
Tick checks: the other half of protection
The vaccine protects against TBE, but ticks can carry other infections too — such as Lyme disease, which has no vaccine — so bite prevention still matters for the whole family:
- Dress children in long sleeves and trousers tucked into socks for forest walks
- Use an insect repellent effective against ticks on skin and clothing
- Check your child's skin daily — especially the hairline, behind the ears, armpits and waistband
- Remove any tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling steadily upwards, and clean the area
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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