If You Don't Normally Purchase Insurance, Better Rethink!

[jhannah]

The Associated Press reports today that U.S. authorities might have to take several steps, including restricting travel, if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak. Specific plans are to be released today, but it seems the Asian bird flu poses a potential threat to become a real problem. If you are planning a cruise between now and next spring, and you don't normally purchase travel insurance, you just might want to rethink things. Also, unless you have a medical reason not to, get a flu shot as soon as they become available (usually in October.)

[Globaliser]

That's terrible advice: If I buy insurance, that will totally wreck any chance that I may have to bitch and moan loudly when the insured risk eventuates, and I'm out of pocket, and it's everybody else's fault except mine!

Seriously, though, can we be sure that this winter's vaccine will have this strain of flu in it? It'll be pretty worthless as a precaution if it doesn't protect against the foreseeable problem.

[lizzielady]

On the last sea day (Oslo to London) on the Westerdam last month, the Captain announced that there was a passenger that needed to be hospitalized. The ship would speed up and we would arrive during the night. He didn't want passengers to worry.

A while later he announced that the passenger's condition had worsened and that he/she would be evacuated by helicopter. All passengers on the upper, forward observation deck and those in the Crow's Nest had to leave the area during the period.

We watched some of the action from our port side balcony and from the forward deck camera on our TV. A Dutch military (I think) copter circled several times, lowering medics and finally lifting the passenger via ropes/stretcher.

I always buy the Platinum package. This incident confirmed to me the need.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always buy third party insurance.

And we always get our flu shots. We are just hoping that our doctor gets the vaccine in before we leave in Ocotober.

A couple of years ago our doctor also insisted that we get pneumonia along with Hepatitis B - already had hepatitis A shots.

[elmorejj]

KK, I ditto everything you posted, you beat me to it! I also hope the flu shots are available early this year. Better to be safe than sorry!....jean :cool:

[Roadguy]

Never buy the insurance...
Absolutely, NEVER get a flu shot(don't want the flu)!!!
Just MHO !!!

[stillfrantic]

Absolutely, NEVER get a flu shot(don't want the flu)!!!

Huh? Is that a joke, I guess?

[Roadguy]

A certain number of people that get a flu shot, actually get the flu!!!
I have never had a flu shot, Never had the flu!!
I guess I'm a bit of a gambler, like my chances so far.

[jhannah]

A certain number of people that get a flu shot, actually get the flu!!!This is a great misconception. Ask your doctor. The flu vaccine is made from a killed virus. You cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. Now, some people may develop a slight fever or other symptoms if they are sensitive to vaccinations ... but it's not the flu.

[Roadguy]

Still Never had the flu!!
But thanks for the concern.

[HeatherInFlorida]

The flu shot each year actually guards against only certain flus. So you can still get the flu after a flu shot because there is always a strain they don't know about.

I don't get a flu shot either. When I'm in the "danger" age zone, I will. But meantime I'll take my chances for more reasons than you want to hear.

But now I'm thinking about the Hepatitis shot! Either that or never go on a cruise down a river under a bridge! Did you hear what happened when the Dave Matthews Band bus dumped its waste thru a bridge in Chicago?????

Yup, forget the flu shot and get that Hepatitis shot; that's my advice;)

And I always always always buy travel insurance.

[aqusis]

This is a great misconception. Ask your doctor. The flu vaccine is made from a killed virus. You cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. Now, some people may develop a slight fever or other symptoms if they are sensitive to vaccinations ... but it's not the flu.

My husband came down with the flu a few days after getting the flu shot last year and insists he will never get another becuase the shot was responsible. He got it as our state was declared 'epidemic' in our state. I think the probable cause was sitting in the doctors office with other sick folks waiting to get the shot. I didn't get one last year and it was the 1st year I've had the flu in ages. I won't be skipping that again. In our area, there are drug stores that are already starting their flu shot campaign.

[Randyk47]

I'm kind of trying to wade my way through this insurance business. Never have taken it in the past but still consider it from time to time. For our next cruise we won't be flying, just have to drive a few hours to Galveston. So if the government limits flying then we won't be impacted. Now if this flu thing gets so bad that the government closes the ports, at least the cruise industry, then it would seem to me that insurance wouldn't be required as the cruise would basically be cancelled and the cruise lines would have not other choice than to refund the fares. Of course, the missing piece, for me at least, is that either my wife or I could get sick.....that's actually more probable than a massive shutdown. As for flu shots.....I never have gotten them and don't have any medical condition that indicates I should get them and my wife has a condition that prohibits her from taking them. I'm in the "don't believe you get flu from flu shots" camp.

[ekerr19]

Randy-

Some of the 3rd party insurer's rates are so reasonable - we figure it's worth it. I think it's Travelex who also insures kids under 16 yrs free of charge. It always gives us a little additional peace of mind.

I am also in the "can't get the flu from the flu shot" camp... :)

[Randyk47]

Ekerr19 - I'm looking for the reasonable. Because we've booked an RS for our next cruise the rates I've been quoted are not real low....a couple of hundred dollars. Realize I'm taking a chance by not getting it but then I know me and I'd get off the cruise all ripped that I wasted $200+. I'm so confused!!! :rolleyes:

[dakrewser]

I'd get off the cruise all ripped that I wasted $200+. I'm so confused!!! :rolleyes:Do you gnash your teeth each month that you're paying auto insurance but you still didn't have an accident?

:rolleyes:

[Randyk47]

YES! Well....not really...but I get your point. :) sigh............

[mfinn]

The Associated Press reports today that U.S. authorities might have to take several steps, including restricting travel, if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak. Specific plans are to be released today, but it seems the Asian bird flu poses a potential threat to become a real problem. If you are planning a cruise between now and next spring, and you don't normally purchase travel insurance, you just might want to rethink things. Also, unless you have a medical reason not to, get a flu shot as soon as they become available (usually in October.)
Vegas Jim -

Where did you hear/read this info.? I could not find any information pertaining to this story on the AP website or on any of their affiliates.

[Cruiseoften]

Never buy the insurance...
Absolutely, NEVER get a flu shot(don't want the flu)!!!
Just MHO !!!

I sincerely hope you also stay home when you're hacking and coughing and complaining of a headache and sore throat. You may enjoy being miserable but I don't!

Guess we sensible travelers are all hoping the vaccine is available early this year.
:)

Can't dispute that some people do get flu after the shot but it's usually relatively mild. Also true that there's no guarantee it will protect you from every strain...........still, we'll get ours!

[mhshapiro]

Flu shots typically take about six weeks to provide maximum immunity, so if someone comes down with influenza a day or two after receiving the shot it likely is because that person already was infected before receiving the shot.

It is true that each individual flu shot only provides immunity against the strains included in it. However, there is some residual immunity that one retains from previous flu shots and from any previous case of the flu that one has experienced.

Influenza can be a very dangerous disease. Witness the "Spanish Flu" pandemic of 1918. The minor discomforts of a flu shot are far preferable to the effects of a really bad flu virus strain.

[jhannah]

Vegas Jim - Where did you hear/read this info.? I could not find any information pertaining to this story on the AP website or on any of their affiliates.Strange ... I can't either. It's on the front page of the Las Vegas Review-Journal today, but it doesn't show on their website either. :confused: It's on the front page at the bottom and the headline is "Plans for flu outbreak include closing schools, travel limits." It's an AP story by Lauran Neergaard.

[dakrewser]

It's an AP story by Lauran Neergaard.

Found it! Here (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/26/us_warns_of_flu_vaccine_shortage/)'s the copy published by the Boston Globe.

[HeatherInFlorida]

from the article......

"It will take months to brew a vaccine that works against the kind of super flu that causes a pandemic, although government preparations include research to speed that production."

Well so much for getting the flu vaccine;) . I'll be dead and buried before they've brewed it up!!!:D

[Globaliser]

Found it! Here (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/26/us_warns_of_flu_vaccine_shortage/)'s the copy published by the Boston Globe.As always, a good read of the original source shows that there's less cause for alarm than the headlines or a summary might suggest. This is all hypothetical, with no particular reason to believe that such a pandemic is likely to occur this winter, or next, or anytime in the next 10 years. It might happen, sometime.

[jazzsea]

I take it out every time we travel. I can't imagine anyone that would want to ignore what might happen.

One of my clients had to be medically evacuated from Tortola last January. The cost of the medivac was $23,000. Medicare did not cover the cost.

I have a hundred other stories but most people don't listen. I use Travel Guard International, but there are other third party insurance companies, too. Ask your TA or check the internet.

[arzz]

Always take insurance and take it early to cover preexisting conditions -- have an elderly parent -- and had a huge scare many years ago when a cruise line I had booked went bankrupt -- got my money back through my credit card since I had not received the services promised but I am not sure the credit cards will still cover bankruptcies as this can get very expensive for them.

[WindyCity]

What Jazzsea said is true. I work for an air ambulance company and the costs of medical transport are horrendous. I am willing to bet that even the travel insurance most of us purchase does not have enough coverage. I know a medical evacuation from California to Japan cost approx. $92,000 - so the further you are away from the US the higher the cost, but that is not factored into the insurance. Read the policy carefully.

[sail7seas]

As has been noted here on this board a number of times in the past, IT IS SO WORTH having AmEx Platinum because one of the benefits of 'membership' is included medical evacuation from anywhere in the world.....anything/everything necessary to get you safely back including sending a nurse/doctor to travel with you. I have repeatedly verified to be sure I absolutely understand what they would do in the event of that sort of emergency and have been assured, we would be evacuated at their expense.

[Aussie Gal]

We are Visa Gold Card holders and one of the perks is free insurance. I have reread the policy many times and it is the same as the one you buy from a T.A.

We always have a flu shot every year. Being on an aircraft for over 24 hours can produce lots of different ailments. We always take a few Vitamin C with Zinc tablets before we fly as well just to help ward off any colds we may pick up.

We always make sure our hepatitus shots are up to date as well. You can never be too sure if someone preparing your food has washed his or her hands. We are usually away for a month so why risk catching hepatitus just because you couldn't be bothered being vaccinated.:eek:

Jennie