Do we need a vacination before our first cruise???

I was recently told that we should have gotten the "twinrix" vacination for Hepatitis A&B - two needles several weeks apart and a few weeks BEFORE departing to the Caribbean (we are visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas and St. Maarten) in 18 days!!! What do I do???

Worried in Canada.

TIA

There are no vaccinations that are required for a cruise to the caribbean.

Some folks will get Hepatitis A and or B vaccinations. And others will get other vaccinations. By the way, make sure that your tetanus vaccination is up to date.

Here is what I recommend. Either contact your local medical office or a medical office with expertise in foreign travel and let them know where you are going and ask them what they recommend. My experience is that you wil get lots of recommendations on this board on what you should get but in the end you should take advcie from a medical professional who is familiar with your specific medical history.

Keith

We are going to Central America and the Caribbean in a few weeks. We decided on these: Tetanus, Flu, Pneumonia, and Hepatitis A. The insects and animals we encounter we can deal with. It's the close living condidions with lots of people from everywhere that is the real danger.

The only shot(s) my doctor recommended was a Tetanus shot or booster (tetanus) depending if you ever had one. He put it to me this way; you are walking on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. You accidentally step on something rusty and need to go to a clinic in a Mexican town :eek: or the ship doctor because you know you need a tetanus. Do you want them to give you the tetanus shot not knowing where these doctors got their degrees from or would you rather get the shot in my office? I choose the latter and got a booster before I left his office. :p

I have nothing against ship doctors but a lot of doctors come from foreign countries and I do not know where they got their education from or if they are even licensed by the AMA.

Ships Doctors for guests on HAL ships are almost all from Canada and/or U.S. There might be a British doctor now and then?

I have never gotten any shots/immunizations for any of my travels anywhere in the World I've gone.

As another poster suggested, if you want to update your tetanus, guess you could do that, but otherwise I certainly wouldn't worry.

But then, I don't go to jungles, or do adventurous sports that might wound me.

If you are going to a country that has an outbreak of some disease, I think I'd reconsider going there.

For most places in the Caribbean, you do not need vaccines. If you are traveling to Malaria infested areas or other mosquito transmitted diseases, you might need preventative medications and should take insect repellant. The CDC.GOV/travel site has excellent, location specific recommendations. That's what I used when I went to Brazil on business.

For most places in the Caribbean, you do not need vaccines. If you are traveling to Malaria infested areas or other mosquito transmitted diseases, you might need preventative medications and should take insect repellant. The CDC.GOV/travel site has excellent, location specific recommendations. That's what I used when I went to Brazil on business and to the Galapagos and Ecuador

Ships Doctors for guests on HAL ships are almost all from Canada and/or U.S. There might be a British doctor now and then?

 

Thanks for this information. Good to know that the doctors on HAL are from Canada and the U.S. Of course the prices you pay for a cruise on a luxury liner like HAL and a mass market cruise line might have something to do with it.

My friend just came back from the Voyager and she fell and hurt herself. She told me the doctor on-board was from Brazil and spoke limited English.

I guess I made the fatal mistake of ASSUMING :eek: something.

Ditto. I never get vaccinations for cruise purposes.

Unless you are camping out in one of those countries, vaccinations are NOT needed! The small amount of time you will spend there doesn't warrant it. Stop worrying!

I have had Hep A & B vaccinations, tetanus, typhoid, plus updates of all my childhood vaccines, but then I travel a lot for work to all sorts of interesting places. Hep A & B are useful because they can be transmitted via food and water. It is not essential to get them before going on the cruise, however, if you are concerned make sure that all the food you eat in ports of call is properly cooked and is still hot. You can get Hep A or B in the developed world as well as the less developed world, a cousin of mine got Hep B from food at the University of Adelaide cafeteria years ago, he had a liver transplant last year as a result.

Practising good personal hygeine and being careful about what you eat and drink is essential. And if you are going to partake in any horizontal refreshments, take the appropriate precautions.:D

Thanks for this information. Good to know that the doctors on HAL are from Canada and the U.S. Of course the prices you pay for a cruise on a luxury liner like HAL and a mass market cruise line might have something to do with it.

 

My friend just came back from the Voyager and she fell and hurt herself. She told me the doctor on-board was from Brazil and spoke limited English.

 

I guess I made the fatal mistake of ASSUMING :eek: something.

We also sail HAL quite a bit - like sail.

I had a bad fall on Half Moon Cay and even though the ship's passenger doctor was not available, I was seen by the crew doctor who neither American or English - she was from the Phillipanes and spoke very good English. She took exrays and etc., -- no charge. I thought she was excellent!!

I was recently told that we should have gotten the "twinrix" vacination for Hepatitis A&B - two needles several weeks apart and a few weeks BEFORE departing to the Caribbean (we are visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas and St. Maarten) in 18 days!!! What do I do???

 

Worried in Canada.

TIA

Sjado

Hi - I see that you are new to Cruise Critic -- Welcome!!

You do not need any shots for the Caribbean.

But if you plan on cruising anywhere else in the future, I would strongly recommend that when you get back from your cruise, you definitely get the Hep A and B shots (can't be done in 18 days), Tetnus, Diptheria, Typhoid and Yellow Fever.

Yellow Fever is good for only 10 years but after age 60 and if you have any health problems, doctors recommend that you no longer get it. You need that shot if you are going to do any South American cruises or if you plan to do any jungle tours in Central America as well as any African cruises.

I warn you because this past June I got a Typhoid shot and within 24 hours I had a very minor stroke which can happen to anyone from this shot. I have no other health issues. But I am over 60. Our Yellow Fever shots are up in a couple of weeks and our doctor has advised both my DH (he had a heart attack a few years ago) and me that we can no longer get this shot. SO - get them now and travel to those exotic places while you can.

Sjado

 

Hi - I see that you are new to Cruise Critic -- Welcome!!

 

You do not need any shots for the Caribbean.

 

But if you plan on cruising anywhere else in the future, I would strongly recommend that when you get back from your cruise, you definitely get the Hep A and B shots (can't be done in 18 days), Tetnus, Diptheria, Typhoid and Yellow Fever.

 

Yellow Fever is good for only 10 years but after age 60 and if you have any health problems, doctors recommend that you no longer get it. You need that shot if you are going to do any South American cruises or if you plan to do any jungle tours in Central America as well as any African cruises.

 

I warn you because this past June I got a Typhoid shot and within 24 hours I had a very minor stroke which can happen to anyone from this shot. I have no other health issues. But I am over 60. Our Yellow Fever shots are up in a couple of weeks and our doctor has advised both my DH (he had a heart attack a few years ago) and me that we can no longer get this shot. SO - get them now and travel to those exotic places while you can.

With all due respect, it is for this reason that I say it is important that the OP consult with their own doctor and that we should not be giving medical advice to others.

I would not recommend that someone get a Yellow Fever shot proactively, but rather if they are required. Many folks will never travel to places where it is required. And as you point out there are side affects if one is over 60 and by the way there are also side affects for those under 60.

But, the bottom line is for most vaccinations there are risks just like the one that you experienced. So, what I have always recommended is that each person should consult with their physician about their travel plans or with a travel health professional since what is going to be recommended will be based on the itinerary and the patients health situation.

Keith

Thank-you everyone for your responses! I really appreciate your input.

Sjado in Manitoba

no...

Just to clarify - Hepatitis A is food and water born. You have to ingest it to become infected. Hepaptis B is blood and body fluid born. It is most commonly spread through IV drug use, sexually transmitted, from mother to baby during delivery or with a blood transfusion (that is extremely rare now because of pre-transfusion screaning.) Hepatais B can be found in saliva, so it could possibly be transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person through food or water, but is not very likely. Either way, your best protection against both is vaccination. Vaccinations aren't required to cruise, but you never know when you might be exposed, at home as well as abroad.

Hello fellow Canadian! I was just at the travel clinic on Tuesday. We are cruising to the Mexican Riviera, and it was recommended to my HB (37) and I (30) to have the flu shot; Hep A & B (Twinrix); MMR (measles, mumps, rubella); and tetanus, diptheria, acellular pertussis vaccines.

HB had already had the flu shot. I declined because I've never had one and never had the flu. We are a low risk for Hep B (not planning on getting tattoos, piercings or going to prostitutes whilst on vacation), and getting back to the clinic in a month from now for the second shot is just incredibly inconvenient. So, we both got the Hep A shots (which require a booster in 6 to 12 months). We also got the MMR & TDAcP.

Our 18 month old son (whose immunizations were all up-to-date) just got the Hep A.

The travel clinic uses www.travax.com for determine what the disease threats are. Of course, it's a password protected database. A similar database, although UK-based, is http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/

All that said, we cruised to the western Carribbean last year, and didn't get any special immunizations. Well, not entirely true, we made sure that DS got the flu shot, but that was it. All immunizations are optional.

I was recently told that we should have gotten the "twinrix" vacination for Hepatitis A&B - two needles several weeks apart and a few weeks BEFORE departing to the Caribbean (we are visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas and St. Maarten) in 18 days!!! What do I do???

 

Worried in Canada.

TIA

Don't sweat it! You aren't going to 3rd world countries. Relax and enjoy yourself.

If it helps your feelings any, I have been to St. Thomas 3 times and St. Martin twice. Leaving in 2 weeks for San Juan and I have NEVER had any of my shots. Never, Ever!

Don't worry about it. We cruised for many years without vaccinations. We did get them (Hep A & B) this past year because we were traveling to Singapore and were cruising to Mexico where we knew we would be eating local food. If you plan on traveling a lot in the future, I would get them after checking with your physician. Make sure you allow at least six months to complete the series. We got ours at our health plan's travel clinic.

My cousin who is a nurse practicioner has told me to take malaria pills, typhoid shots, hep A&B shots etc. I am 59, not sure if I will be in the jungle excursions ....it all sounds very extreme! We are only in ports in Belize and Honduras for a day. Does it matter if you r going to do any jungle excursions???

My cousin who is a nurse practicioner has told me to take malaria pills, typhoid shots, hep A&B shots etc. I am 59, not sure if I will be in the jungle excursions ....it all sounds very extreme! We are only in ports in Belize and Honduras for a day. Does it matter if you r going to do any jungle excursions???

We have been in the "jungle" areas of many islands during our port calls. We have never gotten any shots. In Belize we went up into the hills to do the cave tubing, and we were fine. I would not stress.

I have nothing against ship doctors but a lot of doctors come from foreign countries and I do not know where they got their education from or if they are even licensed by the AMA.

Most ship's doctors are better trained than in the USA ;)

DH had to see the doctor once & he was from South Africa ...was on top of the infection right away

Do not assume because they come from outside N.A. they are not well trained

The only shot(s) my doctor recommended was a Tetanus shot or booster (tetanus) depending if you ever had one. He put it to me this way; you are walking on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. You accidentally step on something rusty and need to go to a clinic in a Mexican town :eek: or the ship doctor because you know you need a tetanus. Do you want them to give you the tetanus shot not knowing where these doctors got their degrees from or would you rather get the shot in my office? I choose the latter and got a booster before I left his office. :p

 

I have nothing against ship doctors but a lot of doctors come from foreign countries and I do not know where they got their education from or if they are even licensed by the AMA.

Think about these statements. In todays "sue happy world" do you really think any major cruise line would hire a doctor who was not qualified? Having used the medical facilities on Princess I can tell you first hand that their onboard hospital rivals or beats many land based hospitals. Also I am curious.....do you have any idea where your doctor got his degree, where many of the doctors at your local hospital got there education or where they ranked in their class? My guess is not a clue! Of course this is just my opinion. The only shots I take for a cruise occur on the cruise.....at one of the bars!