Panama Canal land tour

[Ziggy7]

DH and FIL are doing a land tour in Panama City. They will be there for only 4 days. They are doing the dome train tour and the Canal transit tour. Because they will be doing the train tour that goes through the forest in Panama they were told that they had to have shots ( Hep A, Typhoid, yellow fever and pills for Maleria. When DH went to drs. he was told that there has been alot of out breaks there lately, so he got his shots.
The reason I am posting this is because pax going to panama canal and getting off the ship taking land excursions on the train or in the rainforests, should check with their State Dept. of health as they give these shots free. Always better safe than sorry I say :)

[localady]

Ziggy7-

My doctor told me the same thing. It is the reason we are not getting off the ship in Panama and will have DEET on! I know people have travelled to the Panama Canal with no ill effects without the shots, but I am a "high risk" for that because of my health issues. I decided to forego the shots for this trip but to stay on the Ship in Panama as a precaution. I am sure others have handled it differently. I too would love to hear some of the other cruisers opinions on the Panama Canal and whether the shots are necessary for those on a day tour from a cruise ship.:cool:

[jhannah]

I think most cruisers will be safe because you're not interacting with locals all that much. You're basically in a bus/train with other pax on the ship. The one exception might be the shore ex that visits the Emberra Indian reservation out in the forest. We rode the train over to the Miraflores Locks and had no health problems at all.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Only those passengers who will actually be hiking in the rain forests or going to the Emberra Indian Village really should worry.

You don't come in contact with very many people even on the Panama City Tour.

Ziggy --

But your husband is wise to get the shots - you make it sound as though he will be there on his own and not on a cruise. Am I right?

[Ziggy7]

Only those passengers who will actually be hiking in the rain forests or going to the Emberra Indian Village really should worry.

You don't come in contact with very many people even on the Panama City Tour.

Ziggy --

But your husband is wise to get the shots - you make it sound as though he will be there on his own and not on a cruise. Am I right?




Yes, he is not on a cruise, FIL wouldnt do the cruise, he will be staying in Panama city for 4 days, only reason I mentioned this though is because his Dr, seemed more concerned with the rainforest and open air trains and buses that go through it, which you can be doing on a cruise excursion :)

[stefhef]

One more thing to note: The most dangerous time is dawn and dusk. That is when the mosquitoes are out and they are the carriers.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hep B is a series of 3 shots - they won't have enough time to ge them all in.

Ziggy - your DH and FIL should definitely take the Larium pills for malaria.

We have had to take them for several cruises and never had a problem with side affects,

[Ziggy7]

KK, they got a Hep A shot, not B :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ziggy7

All of you might want to consider getting Hep B shots for the future.