Any required vacinations needed?

[Guest]

I plan to go to LOS in May. My passport just arrived today

Having limited international travel experience, I wonder if I need to have certain vacinations here in the states before I travel abroad - and are they just suggested or are they mandatory. If so, which ones?

[rovineye]

None required, no. But you might want to check into hep A, and tetnus.

Now you can get 2 hep A shots 6 months apart and you are good for 20 years.

 

Ask your doc about others.

 

Hep B if you are really leading a risky lifestyle.

[samak]

no, none required

if you are going trekking in the djungle, you might contact a specialist.

[Guest]

If you are going to get the Hep shots, get to a doctor in a hurry. They need to be given several weeks in advance in order to provide any protection. If you are going into any of the villages, they will give you malaria pills to take.

[sabio]

No required vaccinations are needed, but some needed vaccinations are required .

 

Just kidding . Welcome to the board.

[Old Hippie]

I'd recomend Hep A and B as well as tetnus.

[Boo Radley]

Hi,

I seem to remember that Typhoid and Hep A vaccinations are recommended for Thailand. Best check at a travel clinic to be sure.

[kamui]

Before I went to Thailand and Cambodia I did some research and asked some doctors, but received different answers. One doctor said that I do not need any specific vaccination. This might be right If you only stay in upper class hotels, do not eat stuff (like fruits) from street vendors and avoid close contact to the residents

 

I preferred some shots before the trip than returing with some serious disease. That is what I did:

 

- Polio (I had to do it anyway)

- Tetanus (this is recommended all over the world)

- Hepatitis A

- Thypus and Diphteria (both are on the rise in Europe, imported from East European countries)

 

I did not have enough time for Hepatitis B, because you need two shots some weeks before you go. I will get vaccinated against Hepatitis B before I go to SE Asia next time definitely, because it is transmitted through body fluids (i. E. sex) and blood. There seems to be no real cure against Hepatitis B when you first get it (Source: Centers for Disease Control (US)

 

Anyway, this did not prevent me from catching a bacterial prostatitis, which might have been a "gift" from a girl, even I only stayed with three girls in 3 1/2 weeks - this shows how unrealistic statistics probaility calculus could be which some fellows do when they talk about the probability of catching STDs.

[kamui]

This is what CDC recommends:

 

CDC recommends the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):

 

See your doctor at least 4?6 weeks before your trip to allow time for shots to take effect.

 

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).

Hepatitis B if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months in the region, or be exposed through medical treatment.

Japanese encephalitis , only if you plan to visit rural areas for 4 weeks or more, except under special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.

Rabies , if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.

Typhoid vaccination is particularly important because of the presence of S. typhi strains resistant to multiple antibiotics in this region.

As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles , and a one-time dose of polio for adults. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11?12 years who did not complete the series as infants.

To stay healthy, do...

 

Wash hands often with soap and water.

Drink only bottled or boiled water , or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through an ?absolute 1-micron or less? filter AND adding iodine tablets to the filtered water. ?Absolute 1-micron filters? are found in camping/outdoor supply stores.

Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.

If you visit an area where there is risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See your doctor for a prescription.)

Protect yourself from mosquito bites:

Prevent mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

Use insect repellents that contain DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide).

Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria bite between dusk and dawn.

Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened housing, purchase a bed net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin.

For more information on protecting yourself from insect bites and DEET see Protection against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods.

To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot.

Always use latex condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

[New Petchburi Pete]

Definitely agree with tetanus, Hep-A & B. Malaria is rare in Bangkok. It's interesting, but we took our one month old son for a vaccination yesterday; and, in reviewing the schedule of innoculations, it's interesting to note that all children here (at least at this hospital) get vaccinated against Japanese (?

Encephalitis ... I guess there are outbreaks from time to time ... but, I don't think you need it for Bangkok at this time.