Cholera Vaccine

Vespar

Just been to the chemist to pick up our Cholera vaccine and got a real shock. It cost us for two people $197.00 (aus).

Is this normal?

Vespar

Fresa81

I was told that the cholera vaccine wasn't really necessary for tourists .... hmmm. I didn't get it done, what about all you other IMers ...?

PS - https://www.pharmacybymail.com.au/catalog/index.html
'Displaying 1 to 1 (of 1 products) Result Pages: 1
Product Name+ Type Price Buy Now
DUKORAL CHOLERA VACCANE R Script Required $47.50
Displaying 1 to 1 (of 1 products) '


Looks like you got jipped!!

F.

Vespar

I feel jipped

We need two doses so that would be $47.50 * 2. So I figure I was Jipped about $2.50. We are going for 3 months maybe this is the reason.

What shots did you have Fresa81?

We are due to have Hep A and Mengitis

Thanks

(Just rang Health cover and they will cover $50 each. So slowly )

Fresa81

I just went last week to get mine done, I got Hep A*, typhoid and meningitis.

If you're already up-to-date with your tetanus, polio, rubella then that'll save you some more jabs! Definitely get typhoid though!!

*I didn't get Hep B because I did some homework and figured: I'm not going to get any (more!) piercings/tattoos done, I won't be doing anything where I might fall off a cliff and need a blood transfusion ie hiking, skiing and I don't plan on having any sex!


Seriously though, I wouldn't bother with the cholera, apparently the risk to travellers is about 1 in 1 000 000 000 ....

unless you have already gotten the shots .....

Fresa81

Here, I found this on the Travelvax website ....

CHOLERA
The Disease
A profuse and watery diarrhoeal illness, Cholera is caused by infection of the intestine by the bacteria, Vibrio cholera. The infection is often mild and without symptoms, but sometimes can be life-threatening.


Where is it found?
Cholera is a public health concern in developing countries worldwide, especially in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.


Risk to travellers
The risk of contracting cholera while travelling in affected areas is thought to be less than 1 in 500 000 if food and water guidelines are followed. Cases in travellers from developed countries are rare.

There is no longer any official requirement for cholera vaccination for arriving travellers to any country but some border officials may request evidence of vaccination, particularly for overland travel in Africa. A stamp of cholera exemption* may prevent travellers being harassed at borders. *Available at Travelvax clinics.

Vaccination is only recommended for high-risk travellers (ie aid or refugee camp workers, persons planning extended stays in remote rural areas who are in close contact with the local population).


Vaccination
Type:

Oral live-attenuated vaccine
Schedule

2 sachets mixed in 200ml of water
Level of protection

Provides 60-90% protection against severe disease for six months.

Side effects
Occasional nausea, abdominal cramps or diarrhoea.

For most travellers, the potential side effects of the vaccine as well as its efficacy outweigh the risks of contracting the disease and vaccination is generally not recommended.


More information on Cholera is available during your pre-travel consultation with Travelvax. Call 1300 360 164 for the location of the clinic nearest to you.

Vespar

Yep the drugs are sitting in my fridge now. So I think its a bit late. Bugger!!!!

This is our second trip to India (last trip was Oct last year) so all our other shots are up to date.

How long are you going for. Did you look at having Jap. Encephalitis shots.

We aren't as they look a bit scary.

Thanks for your input

Vespar.

Fresa81

I thought about the JE shot but from memory I think it was too expensive and not really such a big risk in winter (I'm going in January - for 4 weeks).

When I first decided to go, I rang up a travel clinic and just asked what shots I would need and the lady on the phone gave me a list of about 10 shots! Rabies, cholera, JE ... you name it, they were going to try and charge me for it!

Hopefully, because I don't plan on going too far off the beaten track on my first trip, my vaccs are enough!

F.

girlfromvenus

just to pick up the topic......which vaccinations are futile for my India-trip ???
I will be spending max. 3 weeks in February,, which will be : some days in Bangalore, some days travelling to Hampi and over 1 week in Goa......

the tropics institute has told me that I don't need anything different than the regular diphteria-tetanus-polio and hepatitis A/B......

what about rabies, typhoidfever, meningitis, etc. ???

maybe some experienced india-travellers can shed some light.....thanks

Sama

There are many threads here on IM that you can search as to which vaccines are necessary for India travel. Here in the US, the cholera vaccine is no longer given for India, and has not been recommended for many years.

For the "final" say on it, go to the CDC and/or WHO websites for travel medicine information (i.e., the US Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.)

__________________
My India, 2005-2008
BE THE REVOLUTION

Finzi

Like many others, I decided rabies shots were not necessary for my 4 months in India.....I wasn't going to be anywhere way off the beaten track.

Then, one week in, I was bitten by a dog in Jaisalmer, completely out of the blue. The local hospital didn't have the the crucial first shot (immuno-globulin (sp?) available...luckily we were travelling with a local at the time and he had great local contacts, and, to cut a very long story short, got the vital first live shot from a private doctor, administered from the bar area of his friend's 5* hotel! Surreal experience!

It was easy to buy the (4 or 5) follow up shots from local chemists and to find doctors to jab them in.

So, think carefully about rabies. The 2 hours before getting the first shot were quite scary despite the fact I was almost sure the dog in question was fine (it had been 'protecting' puppies which we'd not even noticed.)

Bonus to having the shots in India, was, of course, the price!!

girlfromvenus

Finzi, that's exactly the out-of-the-blue scenario I'm afraid of, because I don't have any influence on preventing that to happen.....so would it make sense to bring the first-shot-vaccine with me, as it isn't so easily available ??? Just to feel safe about that.....

Finzi

I'm not sure that you could take that first shot with you as I think it's a live vaccine and guess it has to be kept refrigerated. Maybe someone with more medical experience might be able to shed light on this?

vistet

Dukoral , the oral vaccine mentioned here , got a lot attention & hopes attached to it because of reports that it also gave some protection against other, more common diarrea causing toxins with similar structure as cholera.

I discussed this with a specialist doctor this year before going and he essentially left the decision with me : yes , it gives some protection but far from a panacea. Somewhat effective but not cost efficient. Probably this is the reason why the official Swedish pharmaceutical handbook (Dukoral is made in Sweden) lists only choleraprotection as indication.

The same handbook lists these side effects as rare , i.e. less than 1 %.

The price here is SEK 320 for 2 doses - around 35 Euros.

vistet

Storage : 2-8 degrees Celsius , according to the manufacturer.

GoanCanuck

That's the temperature for Dukoral? What about the rabies vaccine?