Immunizations for travel to Asia

Just curious how many people actually get the CDC recommended immunizations for travel in Asia (Typhoid and Hepatitis A)?

Just curious how many people actually get the CDC recommended immunizations for travel in Asia (Typhoid and Hepatitis A)?

For our land trip to China we only got our yearly flu shots..in addition we got the first part of our Hep A before leaving. We were also current on our Tetnus...Best to really check with your personal health care provider as to what may be necessary for you..We also found it less expensive to get the vaccines done at Costco.

I always recommend checking with your physician or a physician that specializes in travel medicine.

There are no required vaccinations for your trip but some of what you may need depends on your medical history but also specific to your plans in port.

Keith

For our SE Asia cruise in 2 weeks (Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) the Australian Travel clinic recommends Typhoid and Hepatitis A, which are both given in one vaccine. We decided to go ahead and do it, even though part of me thinks it's not necessary - I don't want to say "if only we had..."!

The travel doctor we went to suggested updating tetanus and getting Twinrix (hep A and B), typhoid, and annual flu shots. The doctor said that Japanese encephalitis was unnecessary unless we spent time on a farm in Japan. I notice that the CDC has a nice selector - you can say you are travelling on a cruise ship.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

We both recently got our pneumonia vaccine too.

I lived in Asia for 3 years and traveled extensively all over SE Asia. You do not need any vaccines.

We got Twinrix (Hep A/B), typhoid, tetanus boosters and flu. We have malaria meds to take while in Cambodia, Laos and northern Thailand. If we'd been sticking to big cities or coasts, we probably wouldn't have bothered.

(Funny story--when I did my first ever trip to Europe in 1970, backpacking for 9 months, we had typhoid and cholera shots. Can you imagine doing that now?)

I always recommend checking with your physician or a physician that specializes in travel medicine.

 

There are no required vaccinations for your trip but some of what you may need depends on your medical history but also specific to your plans in port.

 

Keith

Agreed.

On your itinerary there are no mandatory innoculations (required by the authorities at your ports to protect others from any disease which you may be carrying.)

But for your own protection it varies according to your medical history, how up-to-date you are with regular jabs like Hep A & B, and whether you're planning to stay ashore overnite or travel inland. So your own doctor is the person to ask about advisory precautions, rather than us barrack-room doctors.

JB :)

... rather than us barrack-room doctors.

 

How about a real honest-to-goodness Doctor then?

I really fail to understand why people can be so reluctant to acquire the recommended vaccinations. Is it a form of bravado? Is it because in the pampered West we so rarely see the more exotic diseases and therefore underestimate their seriousness?

While playing fast and loose with preventable diseases might seem macho, I, for one, would rather take the trouble to be vaccinated than run the risk of contracting something unpleasant.

See your GP, health provider or whatever and consider the downside of ignoring advice. Be sensible!

How about a real honest-to-goodness Doctor then?

 

I really fail to understand why people can be so reluctant to acquire the recommended vaccinations. Is it a form of bravado? Is it because in the pampered West we so rarely see the more exotic diseases and therefore underestimate their seriousness?

 

While playing fast and loose with preventable diseases might seem macho, I, for one, would rather take the trouble to be vaccinated than run the risk of contracting something unpleasant.

 

See your GP, health provider or whatever and consider the downside of ignoring advice. Be sensible!

The key is to carefully review this with a travel medical specialist and when I say review that includes going through not only what ports you visit but also what you will be doing in port and what and where you are doing in port often is a big factor on some of the vaccinations.

In addition, it is very important to go through your medical history because there are some vaccinations that might not be possible for some people.

And yes, like many things in life sometimes there are tradeoffs and it is important.

Keith

Your doctor knows best. "Travel doctors" are in business and want to sell you more shots.

I keep by basics up to date and never did anything special for Asia (but I do not swim in stinking rivers or sleep in the jungle).

I know I am opinionated on this but having done a lot of business travel and also a lot of personal travel I have learned that a good travel medical specialist is better on this subject. Yes, there are some who try to push you on things but if you do your homework you can find an expert who will not. Actually, there are some medical doctors who push too.

Just find the right one. They are out there.

Keith

I keep my vaccinations up-to-date, helped by the fact that I was issued with a Record Card by my GP many years ago so it's easy for me to check when my jabs are due. I'd probably forget all about them otherwise.

I know I am opinionated on this but having done a lot of business travel and also a lot of personal travel I have learned that a good travel medical specialist is better on this subject. Yes, there are some who try to push you on things but if you do your homework you can find an expert who will not. Actually, there are some medical doctors who push too.

 

Just find the right one. They are out there.

 

Keith

Agree with you 100%. It's totally irresponsible to tell someone NOT to get any jabs or take meds.

I lived in Asia for 3 years and traveled extensively all over SE Asia. You do not need any vaccines.

+1

Srpilo

Well, I got mine! Taking no chances! I got the typhoid and the Hep A, plus I had the flu and the DTAP. Today, I got the pneumonia and next week I'm getting the shingles! LOL! I am covering all bases!

Seriously, it is important to check with your healthcare professional and get his/her opinion. I happen to live with my healthcare professional, so I did as I was told!

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I know this thread specified vaccinations but something else travellers may want to consider depending where you will be is protection from mosquito bites. Dengue Fever and Chikungunya are both diseases caused by day biting mosquitos (as opposed to the sort that bite at dawn and dusk), and the Australian health authorities are reporting quite a significant increase in the number of cases of these in people returning from Bali.

Obviously there will be areas in Asia where the risk will be low, but it's still something to consider depending where you are travelling to. There is no preventative medication for either of these unpleasant diseases other than not getting bitten in the first place. A good travel medico will be able to give you the relevant facts and advice.

Vaccines are relatively cheap and have a very low risk of side effects. And it mystifies me why people try to avoid them. If there is any reasonable likelyhood of contacting a particular disease there is a good reason to get inoculated. As a retired Immunologist, I make sure that I have all my shots up to date. I was fortunate once, to have survived polio without any significant problems, so I will not take any chance of getting any other disease for which there is cheap protection. In my school with around 600 students, I was the only one that contracted the disease. If you do the math, kids there had only less than 1 chance out of 600 or more to get the disease. But the risk of not getting the vaccine can be paralysis or death for that one. Is it worth it? If you are willing to take the chance that you won't be #600 then don't get it. There are enough risks in life that we cannot avoid to be taking those we can avoid. Especially those risks that do not yield much good.

I've had diabetes since I was a kid, and *always* get the recommended vaccines, including hep A/B and tetanus and maybe some others before I went to work in India for a couple of months. Get the flu and pnemonia shots every year.

Frankly, I can't afford to be that sick for days... diabetes is hard enough to manage without barfing your guts out for 5 days.

We're looking ahead to a 2015 trip through China, and I appreciate the reminder to check with my doctor for the recommendations.

I know this thread specified vaccinations but something else travellers may want to consider depending where you will be is protection from mosquito bites. Dengue Fever and Chikungunya are both diseases caused by day biting mosquitos (as opposed to the sort that bite at dawn and dusk), and the Australian health authorities are reporting quite a significant increase in the number of cases of these in people returning from Bali.

 

Obviously there will be areas in Asia where the risk will be low, but it's still something to consider depending where you are travelling to. There is no preventative medication for either of these unpleasant diseases other than not getting bitten in the first place. A good travel medico will be able to give you the relevant facts and advice.

Bronte2, yes, this is a thread about vaccinations originally, but I think it is a good place to exchange information about health issues for cruisers in Asia. Thank you for the info about Bali.

Apparently, there is also a risk of Dengue Fever in Taiwan. An on-board lecturer for upcoming Princess cruises in Asia has posted about this on a few roll calls for upcoming cruises that call in Taiwan. She recommends that cruisers bring strong insect repellant containing DEET.

Happy, healthy cruising to all.....

Kate

There is Dengue fever in many parts of SE Asia, including the parts of northern Laos and Thailand I was recently in, plus Bangkok and Singapore. On the upper Mekong and in northern Laos, there is a risk of malaria, regardless of whether you take the pills or not.

So DEET is your only recourse. I was fairly careful, but still got bitten about a dozen times in 20 days, so not bad, and no consequences, but still...

As for being careful about food, take all the precautions you can, "turista" can hit you hard if you're not, and even if you are. We took the oral Dukoral vaccine, available in Canada, that gives you some measure of protection against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), or traveller's diarrhea. I actually got struck by it, but the symptoms were perhaps not as bad as they could have been, and husband had no problems.

Lesson number one if not cooked do not eat, two hands to mouth or eyes cleaned first. If people use their hands to eat it do not touch. If you watch the Chinese take the tea hot water put it in their bowl dip their chopsticks in it swish around and pour it in another bowl to be discarded. We always travel with CIPRO antibiotic.