health

grunta

Im after some help regarding hep,typhoid and malaria.Im travelling to India Apr-jun.I have been to India before and have never had any vaccinations or taken anything for malaria and have come away without any health problems.The problem is that I am going this year with my girlfriend and she is more concerned about possible health problems than I am.Does she really need to take any precautions or not ?.We are travelling to northern India.

Unregistered

Grunta, you were lucky...your GF may not be.

I would get the necessary shots as per your Dr's guidance. I would also take real good care with water since most illnesses are due to contaminated water..even in "5*" eating places...be really particular about carefully washing your hands with anti-bacterial soap (dettol does pump liquid in all indian chemist shops) every time you are about to eat.

Finally, I would put a small dab of vaseline in the lining of each nostril every day and before your flight...It prevents the nasal passages from drying out which then permits bacterial entry..Good luck and welcome to India.

IndianBeggar is here...let the party begin

Heraclitus

Neither you or your girlfriend are bulletproof. I know it's a royal pain in the ass to get all the recommended pills/vaccinations/etc. but please do it anyway. The odds are admittedly in your favour, but if you lose, you will lose big time. (I have seen some of the losers at my local travel/tropical disease clinic and it is not a pretty sight.)

Annie_T

Ditto the above replies. Certainly have the Hep A shot as the disease is easy to get and hell to have. The malaria prophlaxis for India ain't so bad - I usually take proguanil and chloroquin.It's not really nasty like lariam.

Heraclitis says, if you want to be persuaded about all this, have a wander round a tropical diseases unit in your home town and look at all the poor buggars who didn't have their shots!