Prevention of tropical disease when cruising?

[Iloveketo]

Of course we are checking with our doctor, but I wondering what others have done when traveling to Central America, South America and the West coast of Africa. We plan to take insect repellent, but not sure what vaccinations or prophylactic meds would be smart to have. 
Thanks for any serious responses. 

[aungrl]

It would be a good idea to visit a Travel Clinic.  Based on your itinerary and time of year, they can advise the required and recommended vaccinations.

[Iloveketo]

3 minutes ago, aungrl said:

It would be a good idea to visit a Travel Clinic.  Based on your itinerary and time of year, they can advise the required and recommended vaccinations.

Depending on what my doctor says, we may have a Passport Health office not too far from us.

 Thanks for the response!

[aungrl]

That would be perfect.  We've visited a passport health office once, and a travel clinic a few times, depending on which one was most convenient to where we were living at the time.  Enjoy the trip, and the planning, which is always half the fun!

[Iloveketo]

14 minutes ago, aungrl said:

That would be perfect.  We've visited a passport health office once, and a travel clinic a few times, depending on which one was most convenient to where we were living at the time.  Enjoy the trip, and the planning, which is always half the fun!

Thanks! Enjoy any travels you have, too!

[Heidi13]

17 hours ago, Iloveketo said:

Of course we are checking with our doctor, but I wondering what others have done when traveling to Central America, South America and the West coast of Africa. We plan to take insect repellent, but not sure what vaccinations or prophylactic meds would be smart to have. 
Thanks for any serious responses. 

 

Prior to any travel, we book a consultation with a specialised travel medicine doctor at a local travel clinic. We provide our itinerary, including any trips we plan and our vaccination records. The doctor reviews everything and recommends any new vaccines and/or boosters required. They can also recommend any OTC meds.

[CILCIANRQTS]

Our local hospital has a travel clinic.

They carefully evaluate every country you visit for various risks, shots, etc.

We only use them for the exotic ports, like Africa or South America.

[formernuke]

I'm stunned by this topic! I'm 60 years old and have traveled for many years (mostly Europe) but I've never even heard the terms "travel clinic" or "passport health office" before. I stand enlightened!

[Paul73]

Hi Former Nuke:  another former submariner here.  I get my annual wellness checks at the Naval Hospital Bethesda (now Walter Reed).  They have an International Travel Clinic that we've used for several trips to places the Navy never sent us.

[Iloveketo]

46 minutes ago, formernuke said:

I'm stunned by this topic! I'm 60 years old and have traveled for many years (mostly Europe) but I've never even heard the terms "travel clinic" or "passport health office" before. I stand enlightened!

We aren’t worried about our cruise on the Iconic Western Mediterranean in November or the Northern Lights in March, but we are going to do the Panama Canal and Central America in January where jungle and river  excursions might present health issues. 
Also, planning on booking South America with a transatlantic to West Africa and then Barcelona. We figure better safe than sorry. 

[longterm]

On 10/1/2022 at 5:39 PM, Iloveketo said:

Of course we are checking with our doctor, but I wondering what others have done when traveling to Central America, South America and the West coast of Africa. We plan to take insect repellent, but not sure what vaccinations or prophylactic meds would be smart to have. 
Thanks for any serious responses. 

We've traveled in the Caribbean and also in South Africa; for any trip to a 3rd-world country, we always get a prescription of a strong antibiotic (Cipro) and carry it with us, just in case. These days though, medicines are a lot more available than years past, unless you're out in the bush (which we were in Zimbabwe) or on some of the Caribbean islands.

 

[formernuke]

2 hours ago, Paul73 said:

Hi Former Nuke:  another former submariner here.  I get my annual wellness checks at the Naval Hospital Bethesda (now Walter Reed).  They have an International Travel Clinic that we've used for several trips to places the Navy never sent us.

Good to hear there are more of out there! I'm in CA so Bethesda isn't an option, but thanks for the info!

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, longterm said:

We've traveled in the Caribbean and also in South Africa; for any trip to a 3rd-world country, we always get a prescription of a strong antibiotic (Cipro) and carry it with us, just in case. These days though, medicines are a lot more available than years past, unless you're out in the bush (which we were in Zimbabwe) or on some of the Caribbean islands.

 

When travelling the World, it also pays to know where you can safely replenish your stock, by purchasing prescription medications, without visiting a doctor, or having a prescription.

 

With local assistance to recommend a reputable chemist, we have done this in Dubai, Kenya and Thailand.