Immunization Recommendations

James 108

I've been put right off all vaccines in the last few years. In my last couple of stays in Goa (6 months and 10 months) I've not been sick once. How? I wash my hands reguarly, avoid meat and fish, drink a sip of midstream morning urine and home-made colloidal silver every day. For me it works very well, I won't be taking any vaccinations again for sure.
James

lotus blossom

i swore off vaccines years ago when i started studying alternative/wholistic health towards my doctorate and learned the dangers of them.

my son had vaccines up until the age of two and suffered alarming adverse reactions to them. After much study, research and the knowledge of reputable doctors, i made an informed choice not to vaccinate my daughter. She went through childhood without incident. My children received "immunization" by eating wholesome foods and with botanical medicines. As adults they are both healthy! I do not have judgment about ones choice to vaccinate but shudder at the idea of poisoning my body with them. All natural for me.

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Indojingai

OP:
Seeing that you are taking precautions to the best of your knowledge (which is good). But there still might be diseases that you have not covered, India is a tropical country and its the rainy season right now.

If I were you, I would try to defer my visit until Nov at least when the winter (or less heat as some might call it) starts to begin.

Great Travels!

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goangoangone

I've always had all the jabs recommended and I've never been ill

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GoanGoan......here

RiAt

The last time I went on a trip (Africa fall '04) rabies shots were hard to come by and very expensive. I think I remember them saying there's been a shortage in the US. My doctor did say that it's best to be careful but that the shot wasn't absolutly necessary. People who've been to India already: Are there a lot of incidences of wild animals approaching? (I have read a couple things about carrying sticks) I'm going for 3+ monthes and I'm trying to decide if I should pursue tracking some down. I'm all set for all the other shots so I hoped I wouldn't have to.

Selfdefinition

Hi RiAt! I'm having the exact concern right now. I have been told that it depends on where you go (Goa, for example, is a hotspot for rabid dogs!) In other places I'm not sure. I know in Canada, the shots cost $750...so I'm not sure what to do. Even if you get the shots and you get a bite, you still need to get two additional shots. I have heard of people getting shots there, but I guess it might depend, again, where you are. Let me know what you decide to do!

machadinha

FWIW IndiaMike is the first place I've even heard of people considering getting rabies shots. I think it's totally unnecessary, if you're going somewhere that is explicitly reported to have a rabid dogs problem (other than hearsay or tall tales) then that is obviously a consideration.

Stray or wild dogs might be a pest sometimes if you plan to bicycle around the countryside for instance, otherwise I can't remember any problems; in some places with lots of monkeys you need to see to it that you don't carry anything that looks edible or have a camera dangling off your shoulder. That's about it. With the dogs making a gesture as if you were picking up or throwing a stone is usually enough to scare them away, for extensive bicycling or walking maybe carrying a stick is an idea (not easy to wield while pedalling I hear ) Should you get scratched or bitten then see a doctor, so if you plan to go completely native with no doctor in sight for 3 months this might be a consideration. As noted however you'll need to see one anyway, whether you've been immunized or not.

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rubensb

you just have to do what gives you, yourself, peace of mind so that you'll have the most enjoyable trip possible. i'm a naturally paranoid person and decided to just go ahead and get them all, whether it's all a bunch of b.s. or not. just had my third and final round of rabies shots which altogether cost $600 here in los angeles. although that hurt more than the shots themselves, i feel better having had them, whether they were necessary or not.

machadinha

Indeed Rubens

andygoodyear

oh god, you have just reminded me i need to get my shots

Selfdefinition

Hi RubinSB!

Thanks for your response--I too am a paranoid person and will feel much more comfortable having had the shots, and I am glad to know that someone else feels the same way. Yes, it's expensive, but I'll enjoy myself more (I'm going to get my shot this afternoon!) It's better than relying a big stick!

machadinha

Another OK-looking down-to-earth travel health site unsurprisingly perhaps is Lonely Planet's online health section. (I know from some of today's posts you'd think I had just been recruited by them. Just browsing around there looking for some other stuff really.)

MeCasa

Why can't we get the shots in country, wouldn't it be cheaper?

machadinha

Because you normally need to build up resistance. A vaccine is essentially a small dose of the actual disease, enough to help you build anti-bodies against it, which takes some time. Very simply put & all that.

Some vaccines require a series of shots. From what I've been reading today making enquiries at least 6 weeks ahead seems to be recommended.

MeCasa

That makes sense, however $400 is a lot of money for something that hurts. Gotta be a cheaper way

Haha, maybe I can get a deal on some outdated serum