Health · what you didn't get back home
Vaccines: what's free, where to get them, what to say
In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, some of these vaccines aren't on the schedule or were given irregularly. Here they're free — including the ones people pay hundreds of pounds for in other countries. No documents or vaccination certificate needed.
The exact set depends on your age, your health and what you've already had. The doctor will check and tell you what's missing. If there are no records, the schedule starts from scratch: an extra dose is safer than a missed one.
What you're entitled to and where to get it
On the left is the name to say at reception. On the right is where to go: some are done by your GP, some only by a sexual health clinic.
You can scroll the table sideways.
| Vaccine | Protects against | Doses | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| HPV (Gardasil 9) | Anal, throat and cervical cancer, genital warts. Free for men who have sex with men up to age 45 | 1–2 | Up to age 45 — sexual health clinic. Up to age 25 — also available through your GP |
| Hepatitis A | Liver virus, faecal-oral route. MSM are an at-risk group | 2 | Sexual health clinic |
| Hepatitis B | Liver virus, passed on through sex and blood | 3–4 | Sexual health clinic. There's a combined A+B (Twinrix) |
| Mpox | For men with more than one partner | 2 | Sexual health clinic — call ahead to check they have it |
| MMR | Measles, rubella, mumps | 2 | GP |
| MenACWY | Meningitis | 1 | GP |
| Flu and COVID | Seasonal, every autumn | yearly | GP or pharmacy |
| Td/IPV | Tetanus, diphtheria, polio — booster | 1 | Your GP will check and give it |
HPV and mpox are almost never given in Central Asia. If you're in the right age group, these are worth a separate trip.
Step 1. Sexual health clinic: HPV, hepatitis A and B, mpox
Find a clinic
nhs.uk — Find a sexual health clinic, enter your postcode. No referral or documents needed, and the clinic isn't linked to your GP.
Call ahead if you need mpox
Not every clinic has the mpox vaccine — call and check before you go: “Do you offer the mpox vaccine? I’m a man who has sex with men.” For everything else you can just walk in.
Say it directly
If you're a man who has sex with men, say so: you'll be offered HPV, hepatitis A and B and mpox for free. This is medical information — it's protected and isn't passed on anywhere. In the same visit, get an STI test and PrEP.
At the clinic
“Hello. I recently arrived in the UK and I have no vaccination records. I’m a man who has sex with men. I’d like the HPV, hepatitis A and B and mpox vaccines, please.”
In other words: you've recently arrived, you have no vaccination records, you're a man who has sex with men, and you'd like the HPV, hepatitis A and B and mpox vaccines.
Need an interpreter: “I need a Russian interpreter, please.”
Step 2. GP: MMR, MenACWY, Td/IPV, flu and COVID
How
- Register with a GP — free, with no documents, address or status: nhs.uk — How to register with a GP surgery. Step by step, with a phrase for reception: “I already live here”.
- Book an appointment (by phone, online or at reception) and say the phrase on the right. The doctor will check what's missing and set up a schedule.
- Flu and COVID — every autumn, at your GP or a pharmacy.
- If a GP won't take you on — Doctors of the World 0808 1647 686.
At reception or with the doctor
“I recently arrived in the UK. I have no vaccination records. I would like to catch up on my vaccinations.”
In other words: you've recently arrived, you have no vaccination records, and you want to catch up on your vaccines.
Doctors don't guess: if you don't ask, nobody will offer — they don't have your records.
Why start in the first few months
The schedules are long
The second hepatitis B dose is a month later, the third six months later. Starting in month one instead of month eight is a year's difference in full protection. Set reminders for the dates of your next doses: those are the ones people forget most often.
Status doesn't matter
Vaccines don't depend on your status and don't affect your visa or your case. This is ordinary medical care, not a benefit. Left your certificate at home? The doctor starts the schedule from scratch.
The questions people ask most often
I'm 30 and MSM. Can I still get HPV?
I don't remember what I had as a child. What will the doctor say?
I'm waiting for an asylum decision or I'm without status. Do I have to pay?
The clinic doesn't have the mpox vaccine. What do I do?
Official sources
Find a sexual health clinic
NHS: this is where they do HPV, hepatitis and mpox
Open →Registering with a GP
NHS: no documents or proof of address — this is where MMR and the rest begin
Open →What people with different statuses are entitled to
GOV.UK: migrant health guide
Open →HIV prevention
NHS: PrEP — separate from vaccines, but at the same clinic
Open →Qadam London
How Qadam London can help
- We'll tell you exactly what to ask for at your clinic and what it's called in English.
- We'll help you find a clinic that offers mpox and HPV — not all of them do.
- We'll remind you about the second and third doses: those are the ones people forget most often.
Phone numbers
HIV and sexual health
0808 802 1221THT Direct. Testing, treatment, PrEP, rights at work.
Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00
A medical question, not urgent
111NHS 111. They'll tell you where to go.
24 hours
Can't get a doctor
0808 1647 686Doctors of the World. They help migrants register with a GP.
Helpline for migrants
LGBTQ+ support line
0800 0119 100Switchboard. Talk about anything: coming out, loneliness, fear.
Daily 10:00–22:00
We don't give immigration advice: only an IAA-registered adviser or an SRA or BSB lawyer can advise on your specific case.
Personal plan · free · 24 hours
Which vaccinations you, personally, need
We'll check against your country's schedule and suggest a GP nearby and phrases for booking.