Travel Health Update Meeting Key Takeaways

Yvonne began her nursing career 38 years ago and has been involved in primary care and travel health for just as long. She has worked overseas for thirteen years in southern and west Africa in primary care provision, on vaccination campaigns in resettlement camps, and community generated health improvement projects for the UK government, NGOs, and corporate industry.

These experiences further inspired her career-long passion for vaccine promotion and travel health. She has set up travel clinics in primary care and promotes lifelong vaccination awareness and the importance of vaccine confident HCPs. She was shortlisted for the RCN Nurse Leader of the Year 2019 for her Changing the Culture of Vaccination in General Practice project and featured in the RSPH 2019 film Healthier Environments as a Vaccine Champion.

Yvonne is a member of the Faculty of Travel Medicine, RCPS, Glasgow, and represents the faculty as Regional Advisor (Northwest), she is a module lead on the RCPSG Postgraduate Diploma in Travel Medicine and is also an independent travel health specialist nurse and educator.

Joanna is the lead trainer and founder of Immunisation Education. Originally working in Emergency Medicine, Joanna developed an interest in preventing Malaria, after caring for several patients who were very unwell after returning from travelling overseas. In 2002, she completed a Diploma in Tropical Nursing from The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Believing to be very fortunate to specialize in Travel Health, Joanna has been helping people go on adventures all over the world, through her work in London and her work for The Travel Doctor New Zealand. In 2005 alongside Dr Matthew Dryden, Joanna set up Winchester Travel Health, and managed the company until 2016 when the business was sold to allow her to step back and spend more time with her young family.

Joanna has worked in a range of clinical areas including GP practices, an independent boarding school as a sexual health nurse, and as a TB nurse specialist, so she is aware of the specific challenges clinical roles demand.

Joanna’s passion is training, and she finds it a pleasure to spark an interest in preventative health care, whilst also working with trainees individually to further their knowledge. Joanna was honoured to previously work as an Associate Trainer for NaTHNaC (Public Health England), providing Yellow Fever Immunisation Update Training nationally, and also providing training across the country for multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Joanna particularly enjoys teaching small groups of healthcare professionals, especially those who are new to travel health, and are wondering what this unique specialism is all about, as well as where to start their journey in understanding its importance!