India-nepal-tibet-china - vaccinations needed

Mirjammark

Hi there,
We are planning to travel to India in November (Kerala & Rajasthan), then on to Sikkim in Jan and finally off to Nepal, Tibet and China in February. What kind of vaccinations do we need? My doctor recommended Jap Encephalitis and Rabies in addition to the usual stuff? How about Malaria proph.? I am a bit reluctant taking anti Malaria pills for that long...
What are your views on it?

Nick-H

Malaria prevcention must be the most discussed topic here: please check out the relevant threads in this section.

But remember: you will not get answers. Just opinions.

Here, for starters, is one of mine: 3 months or so is not a long period to be taking anti-malarials.

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NEVSAY_D

Sikkim in january's gonna b really chilling...while in India try not to miss VARANASI...no idea abt vaccinations :-)

Mirjammark

hi there - thanks for your replies....if you say sikkim is going to be really chilly - do you mean too cold to travel or what are temperatures going to be like? good shoes, socks and a proper jacket...will they do or is it going to be seriously cold?

cyberhippie

Jap Encephalitis and Rabies are not absolutely necessary. I think the Jap E vaccination is only required should be travelling where there has been a recent outbreak or if you are going to be working with/living near pigs!!

Rabies well I never know what to say on this one, as Rabies is very much alive and well in India and there are a lot of stray dogs. Having said that a rabid dog/monkey generally doesn't last too long in India.

In many parts of India the rabies shot isn't strictly necessary as the immuglobulin needed to clean the wound is available (you don't need this if you have had the vaccination you will just need the booster shots)however this availability is patchy I understand so...........

Anti malarials are again a personal choice and the period of time involved isn't too long, people take various anti malarials for much longer.

You won't need these in Sikkim but to make an educated choice be aware that Malaria exists in 93% of India according to the WHO.

I hope that helps you make an informed decision try talking to a tropical medicines clinic, They'll give you more info to work on!

Happy Travelling!

machadinha

Hi there, not meaning to put you off your plans or anything, your trip sounds like a wonderful adventure. However, it also sounds like no picknick. I'd stick with the medical advice you can find at home & study the terrain and weather a little. A google search on "international weather" or something will get you a long way, the weatherunderground is good and has yearly averages for surprisingly small places. For the terrain, try Google Earth. For cultural info, try travel sites like this one (but don't miss out on the biggies too).

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