Maasdam being refused Practique in Fiji

[VK3DQ]

Hi folks.

 

We are at the port of Savusavu and are currently held up as locals refusing to allow anyone ashore who has not had Measles vaxcine.

 

Captain on phone to health dept but to no avail.

 

Will report as we go along.

 

Regards. John

[kazu]

Oh my heavens!

 

That’s a new one for me, at least.

 

Thanks for reporting.  I hope it gets straightened out quickly. 🤞

[SempreMare]

How did you prove you had the vaccine? 

[cat shepard]

Just now, SempreMare said:

How did you prove you had the vaccine? 

 

I know! Mine was decades ago. I have no way to prove it. I guess I would have to be revaccinated and carry proof with me. 

[canadianbear]

Good grief...sorry for this, what a mess.  Hope it gets sorted out soon.  

[Wehwalt]

Are they asking for proof? I was on the Veendam once in St. Lucia where they demanded yellow fever vaccination certificates if you wanted off, coming from the Amazon near where there had been an outbreak. They would not accept doctor's letters saying you shouldn't get a shot.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Wehwalt

[TiogaCruiser]

How many people travel with a complete vaccine card if they don’t know in advance it is needed?

 

With the advent of vaccine registries many of the young ones will have a single complete record. I’ve got several- and I’m not young anymore.

[Gigi1977]

I HAD the measles and was never required or was it even suggested that I should have the vaccine.   How does that work??   
 

Hope they get this fixed before we travel there in 2021.  

[Floridiana]

When I was a kid, there was no vaccine and almost all kids got the measles, chicken pox and other childhood diseases against which we vaccinate today. My point is that I have no written proof of immunity. I think there is a blood test. 

[erewhon]

Samoa has a measles epidemic, with over 70 deaths,  Fiji is now reporting cases of measles.

[HokiePoq]

1 hour ago, Wehwalt said:

Are they asking for proof? I was on the Veendam once in St. Lucia where they demanded yellow fever vaccination certificates if you wanted off, coming from the Amazon near where there had been an outbreak. They would not accept doctor's letters saying you shouldn't get a shot.

I was on Amazon Explorer when that happened!  Glad I had my yellow immunization card with me.  I had the measles as a child.   How on earth could I prove that, I wonder?

Edited December 14, 2019 by HokiePoq

[TiogaCruiser]

40 minutes ago, erewhon said:

Samoa has a measles epidemic, with over 70 deaths,  Fiji is now reporting cases of measles.

THanks. That makes sense then.

 

[Copper10-8]

Got vaccinated as a kid in Holland; left two distinctive but small "imprints" on my upper right arm so I carry my proof with me  It would have been nice if the Fijian government had given a heads up to those visiting that island country, especially to a cruise line whose Fijian port call has been known for at least one year

[cat shepard]

55 minutes ago, erewhon said:

Samoa has a measles epidemic, with over 70 deaths,  Fiji is now reporting cases of measles.

Thank you. I understand. Though this is a lesson learned for me. If I travel in remote areas, I might need to consider these types of situations.

[mightycruisequeen]

I had the measles and rubella as a child; pretty much all of us born in the US before 1960 did.  How can I prove that I'm immune?

[I_r_a]

Hey MCQ,

 

> How can I prove that I'm immune?

 

We shall expose you to a child with measles.

 

If you have not developed symptoms after 2 weeks, you're OK.   🙂

 

Ira

[Shmoo here]

11 minutes ago, mightycruisequeen said:

I had the measles and rubella as a child; pretty much all of us born in the US before 1960 did.  How can I prove that I'm immune?

Well, not all of us did.

 

I had to get a measles shot when I got married, as my blood work showed no immunity.  Fast forward to this past year, blood work still shows no immunity, so had to get another one.

 

Back to the question - I suppose that's something that's going to have to be worked out with the measles problem going on currently.

 

You can ask your doctor to run a titer test to see if you're immune.

 

[mightycruisequeen]

47 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

Got vaccinated as a kid in Holland; left two distinctive but small "imprints" on my upper right arm so I carry my proof with me  It would have been nice if the Fijian government had given a heads up to those visiting that island country, especially to a cruise line whose Fijian port call has been known for at least one year

I wasn't aware that MMR vaccine left a mark.  Are you sure that's not a smallpox vaccine scar on your upper arm?  

 

[Copper10-8]

29 minutes ago, mightycruisequeen said:

I wasn't aware that MMR vaccine left a mark.  Are you sure that's not a smallpox vaccine scar on your upper arm?  

 

 

Could very well be, come to think of it; gotta do some research now, thanks

[Floridiana]

It's a smallpox vaccination scar which I don't have, but I was vaccinated. All my friends had scars. Smallpox and Polio were the 2 vaccines they gave us in Germany.

 

 

[mightycruisequeen]

13 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Could very well be, come to think of it; gotta do some research now, thanks

I'm thinking it's either a smallpox vaccine or BCG vaccine, (for TB).

[Floridiana]

3 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

2 vaccines they gave us in Germany

 

… or to be more precise, the 2 vaccinations I can remember.

[daisybertie]

Sounds like smallpox or BCG to me too, Copper. The stand alone measles vaccine was licensed around 1963 and the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was licensed in 1971. So those of us born well before these dates would not be vaccinated. My mother tells of “measles parties” in the ‘50’s where the neighbourhood kids would gather with a child with the measles so they would all catch it and get it over and done with! My sister and I became extremely ill. Having nursed a child who died of measles, this practice fills me with horror. But have no way of proving my immunity without getting a blood test.

[Shmoo here]

11 minutes ago, daisybertie said:

Sounds like smallpox or BCG to me too, Copper. The stand alone measles vaccine was licensed around 1963 and the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was licensed in 1971. So those of us born well before these dates would not be vaccinated. My mother tells of “measles parties” in the ‘50’s where the neighbourhood kids would gather with a child with the measles so they would all catch it and get it over and done with! My sister and I became extremely ill. Having nursed a child who died of measles, this practice fills me with horror. But have no way of proving my immunity without getting a blood test.

I'm in that "would have/should have had them already" group, however, when I was young, my two younger sisters got both measles & mumps (not at the same time).  The doctor told my mom "You shouldn't keep your oldest away, let her catch them, also".  My mom said "She sleeps in the same room, in the same bed, eats off the same plates with them.  Do you really think I'm trying for her NOT to catch them?"

 

One of my sisters also got measles when we were in high school (probably the "other" one that she didn't have as a child) and I was the one who stayed home and took care of her, since my mom was working full time.

 

Only thing I ever got was chicken pox.  As I said, when tested (twice) I had no immunity to measles.  I did show immunity to mumps, so it's possible I had an extremely mild case at some point.  I've now been immunized against measles (again).

 

 

[ScottishMaid]

I got a blood test which showed I have immunity. I have printed out the doctor's email saying I am immune.

I couldn't remember if I had it as a child and measles is around in Los Angeles.