innoculations

[YooperGale]

Hi,

 

These question shows my ignorance, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Are there any innoculations that we should have?

 

What health precautions (other than those for any cruise) should we take before and during a Panama cruise.

 

Thank you,

Gale

[mii]

Hi,

 

These question shows my ignorance, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Are there any innoculations that we should have?

 

What health precautions (other than those for any cruise) should we take before and during a Panama cruise.

 

Thank you,

Gale

 

Gale, I have taken a partial transit and a full transit and innoculations are not required. Now if you are going to tramp into the rain forest then yes maybe yellow fever shot but if staying on the ship during a full transit or if you are doing a partial transit and getting off at the port to do an excursion then no you do not need shots.

 

Marilyn

[YooperGale]

Thank you, Marilyn

 

Gale

[Mahini]

Hi,

 

These question shows my ignorance, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Are there any innoculations that we should have?

 

What health precautions (other than those for any cruise) should we take before and during a Panama cruise.

 

Thank you,

Gale

 

You may want to contact a Travel Clinic to see what they recommend. Check with your local major hospital to see if they have one. The Clinic can tell you what might be required based on your previous history of innoculations. I am going on the Nov 29 full transit on the Coral Princess, and just went today to update my tetanus shot and obtain a typhoid shot. The Travel Clinic I go to indicated neither a yellow fever shot nor malaria pills were required since we would not be spending the night at any of our stops.

[marshacruises]

Dear Gale:

 

I have asked my daughter who is a Physician's Assistant about the Yellow Fever Shots. She said to get them. Princess indicates that they are necessary on the Panama Canal cruise we are taking in April.

 

My daughter also advised that we get an Hepatitis A shot. If you are not current with your tetanus shot, get that updated. Traveling anytime in flu season means you should have a flu shot too.

 

Don't forget to take along Purell to keep your hands clean. We were on a 15 day cruise to Hawaii this past March and the ship had a number of Norovirus. The crew was insisting that people use a Purell-like substance (cannot be sure of what brand they use) in all the dining areas. They even took the salt and pepper shakers, sugar, etc. off of the table. The waiters actually had to salt our food for us. Another thing they advised was to use your own bathroom rather than the public ones, which would cut out exposure to a lot of germs. They did a great job in keeping the ship clean, and educating the passengers in the best way to avoid the illness.

 

Best wishes to a "yooper"...keep warm.

 

Marsha

[DonMar]

You may want to contact a Travel Clinic to see what they recommend. Check with your local major hospital to see if they have one. The Clinic can tell you what might be required based on your previous history of innoculations. I am going on the Nov 29 full transit on the Coral Princess, and just went today to update my tetanus shot and obtain a typhoid shot. The Travel Clinic I go to indicated neither a yellow fever shot nor malaria pills were required since we would not be spending the night at any of our stops.

 

 

I would agree. Any travel clinic - many can be found at international airports - will have the most updated and accurate information on any prophylactics (preventative medication) that should be administered and the side effects they cause. They will administer inoculations and write scrips for oral medication.

 

We have traveled all over the world and the only time we were given any type of prophylactics was when we went to central Africa. They even had us take a special Malaria prophylactic that was specific to they strain of Malaria that was present where we were traveling.

 

Always check with your doctor or travel medical professional - CYA.

 

Have fun.

[blondie1234]

I believe you do not need shots on most Panama Canal cruises. However, if you are entering Panama or Costa Rica after being in Columbia, I believe you need the yellow fever shot but not vice versa. This would apply to certain iterniaries of the Coral Princess that go from Ft Lauderdale to LA, since they stop in Columbia first.

[Alaska-forget-me-not]

I'm doing the canal in March/April. I got the Hep A, Typhoid and Yellow Fever shots. The only reaction was a sore arm! My doc (military, so over the top on shots anyway) wanted me to have them as I have some health issues that could become serious if I caught either. I'm going to do mostly jungle tours too. He wants me to take the anti-malaria drugs, but I haven't decided yet. If you are in good health and not planning on spending time in the jungle, a good insect repellent with DEET should be good enough. There is also another virus called Dengue Fever that is carried by mosquitos. There is no vaccination for it. Again, a good repellant should be OK.

Typhoid is carried in food and water so watch what and where you eat and drink. Street vendors are generally a no-no.

Hep A and B are good to have whenever you're in an enclosed space (ship) with lots of people.

If you go anywhere that has monkeys and bats don't go near them, or friendly looking pet cats and dogs. Rabies is rampant in some areas and the vaccination is in short supply in the U.S, so they aren't giving it to anyone.

So after all this doom and gloom...ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!

[Putterdude]

We checked in the fall before our Panama Cruise and although Princess and most travellers say no the are not necessary, we consulted 2 travel nurses, one being my SIL and both said yes to:

Hep A,

Typhoid

Tetanus

Diphtheria

Yellow fever was kind of a toss up and we decided not to have it.

One thing that they do recommend though is some 100% Deet insect repellent....the only time we used it was in Costa Rica for a jungle river excursion....the rest of the time we never saw a mosquito.:)

[Richard in Panama]

Where you are going on a typical 10-day turn around or Canal passage you don't need anything . . . other than to wash your hands continually through airports getting to the ship. If you are going to Columbia direct from Panama you need Yellow Fever, and if you are coming from some areas of the world other than the US flying into Panama (not by ship) you may need Yellow Fever. But that's it. The only places you would find Yellow Fever and Malaria still possibly in Panama are in areas way off the track in Bocas del Torro or way, way up in the Darien near the Columbian border where the bigger worry would be FARC rebels and drug runners.

 

Biggest medical risk of your cruise will be the desserts!

 

Regards, Richard

[YooperGale]

Thanks to everyonewho responded!

Yooper Gale

[JULESTIM]

Has anyone been on a panama canal cruise recently? Was there any issue about yellow fever immunisation/certificates after visiting Cartagena and then:confused: cruising on to and entering Panama/Cost Rica/USA. My husband and I are cruising on Jewel of the Seas on 16 April 2010.

 

Many thanks

 

Julie