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Vitamin B12 Vaccinations in London

Protect yourself against Vitamin B12 deficiency
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Basic Information

What is vitamin B12 and what does it protect against?
Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia occurs when a lack of vitamin B12 or folate causes the body to produce abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly.

Vitamin B12 is needed for physical growth and development also needed for forming red blood cells in the bones. It is needed for the absorption of certain vitamins and nutrients from food we eat such as folic acid and carbohydrates which are needed to keep our nerve system healthy.

Without a sufficient amount of daily vitamins over time this can lead to deficiency, this takes months or even years to develop. This causes abnormally large cells which reduces the ability of those cells to carry oxygen from enlarged cells in the bone marrow which in turn causes symptoms of anaemia.

What causes the anaemia?
The following things can cause anaemia:

  1. Pernicious anaemia.
  2. Conditions that affect the stomach – Surgery to remove all or part of the stomach (gastrectomy).
  3. Conditions that affect the intestines e.g crohns disease, Chronic gastritis (an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own tissues).
  4. Lack of vitamins in your diet (Strict vegetarianism).
  5. Medicines (a doctor would monitor this with regular blood test to inform patient of B12 levels).
  6. Prophylaxis of macrocytic anaemia associated with vitamin B12.
How to minimise risk of anaemia?
The below is recommended for diet related B12 deficiency;

1. Consumption of good sources of vitamin B12 include:
a. Meat,
b. Salmon and cod,
c. Milk and other dairy products,
d. Eggs
e. For vegetarians or vegans, they have these such as yeast extract (marmite included), some fortified breakfast cereal and soy products.

2. Non-diet-related: –

Injection of hydroxocobalamin every 2-3 months for the rest of your life (per NHS recommendations).

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Vaccination

Administration Method

An vaccine given by injection into the deltoid muscle of your arm.

Course

The injection can be given every 6 months if due to a dietary deficiency, or 2-3 months if the cause of your low B12 levels is pernicious anaemia.

Length of Protection

Regular blood monitoring is advised.

Special Instructions

You may need to have a test prior to the injection to check that you do have a deficiency.

There are two types of B12 injection, at London Vaccination Clinic we use Hydroxocobalamin as this has been shown to be more effective.

Hydroxocabalamin starts to work straight away. However, it may take a few days or weeks before your symptoms start to improve and you feel better.

Most adults and children can have hydroxocobalamin injection including pregnant women.

Dose & Price

A pre-filled syringe, £65 Per dose.

Side Effects

The most common side effect is mild pain at the site of injection. You may also experience headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, malaise, rash, itching, erythema at injection site, hot flushes, drug fever, urine discolouration, tremors.

FAQs

Does it hurt?
Not all vaccinations are delivered by needle. But whenever they are, we bring all our considerable expertise into play to make sure it hurts as little as possible. Modern needles are so fine they hurt a lot less than the old fashioned versions used to. You shouldn’t feel anything worse than a sharp prick.
What if I have an abnormal reaction?
We don’t just vaccinate you and abandon you! If you don’t feel well afterwards or experience an abnormal reaction, phone us or come straight back in and we’ll check you out.
Will I get a vaccination record card?
Yes, and it’ll act as a record of the vaccinations you’ve been given. The cards include information about how long the vaccination is effective and your booster dates. If you already have a vaccination record card, bring it to your consultation so we can check your immunisation history.
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Meet the Team

Dr Elizabeth Tuckey

Director
MBBS, BA Philosophy

Kami Soltysik

Travel Nurse
BSc Nursing

Katy Peters

Clinical Director
BN (Hons), DipTM (LSHTM), Dip TM, MFTM

Dr Elizabeth Tuckey

Director
MBBS, BA Philosophy

Kami Soltysik

Travel Nurse
BSc Nursing

Katy Peters

Clinical Director
BN (Hons), DipTM (LSHTM), Dip TM, MFTM

Testimonials

“Quick, friendly, and professional! I also loved the fact that the specialist gave me pricing options (as I had to take a few vaccines at once) and could answer all of my questions.”

Melia Lilembo Mazamba

“Quick, reliable, and well priced immunisation service. Highly recommend!”
Alex Karroum
“Good service – put my mind at ease. The nurse was very good and very knowledgeable so could answer all of my queries. Overall, very easy, quick, and friendly process. Would recommend.”
Natasha
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