The Patients' Association launched a statement at the House of Commons on Wednesday, saying the jabs should remain free on the NHS.

The statement, which was co-signed by the Overseas Doctors' Association, the Primary Care Virology Group and the National Union of Students, was launched at a tea party hosted by Liberal Democrats' health spokesman Simon Hughes.

Mr Hughes has long campaigned against the privatisation of travel vaccinations, saying it would be more expensive in the long term.

His brother Richard died of malaria while he was on honeymoon in Kenya.

Expense

Travel vaccinations cost the NHS over £50m a year. Polio and tetanus jabs cost at least £16 each.

Simon Hughes' brother died abroad

But the Patients' Association says privatisation would increase the risk of people travelling abroad with no vaccinations and infecting people on their return. They claim they would also increase health inequalities.

Claire Rayner, chairman of the association, said: "It is our belief, and that of a number of other organisations, that privatisation will significantly increase the incidence of imported infectious disease within the UK."

Health inequalities

Dr Surendra Kumar, chairman of the Overseas Doctors' Association, added: "We believe this would significantly increase the existing health inequalities within the NHS, adversely affecting the ethnic minorities and deprived communities."