Vaccines. When?

Inna

I'm leaving for India in the beginning of March for half a year. When do you think I should start getting all the vaccines which are needed (also taking tablets)? I would like to try to avoid that for a while, because I'm working at the moment and it would be very handy to get everything done in January when I'm off from work. But isn't it too late?
Thank you very much for your help

atala

There are pros and cons regarding vaccinations. You seem to be convinced that you need them. It seems Anglosaxons are obsessed with these things, esp Americans (you are not one, I notice). I never did, except in my childhood when I did not have a choice. I have visited India 15 times meanwhile, spent around 8 years there over a 25 year period. The first time I was foolish enough to take Malaria prevention, later I stopped that nonsense. It depends a lot on your general health. I prefer to take a lot of natural vitamin C with me, and Chlorella.

Inna

I wish I didn't need them. But unfortunately I get ill very easily So I don't even want to think about what's waiting for me in case I don't get ready
Oh god, I'd love to avoid all those vaccines and tablets, but I don't think I should.

p.s. I live in Ireland, but I'm from Lithuania originally.

atala

Malaria prevention is the first thing to strike off your list, if you do not visit an extremely infected area. The likelihood that a female Anopheles mosquito gets you (males do not sting) is rather small.

Nick-H

Atala, you have spent a lot more time in India than I have, and you are entitled to your point of view on vaccinations which is shared by many. I don't share it, but I am lazy --- I've had all the jabs in the past and intend to get around to renewing them soon.

I know that a lot of mosquitoes bite me (not sting) --- but they don't usually introduce themselves, so I do not know the species. I can tell you that I have not, as yet, caught malaria and that I am following the current UK advice, confirmed by my Chennai doctor, not to take prophylaxis.

I guess that the thread should be renamed Assuming that you believe in the efficacy and necessity of Vaccines, when? ---but that's a bit long, so lets take it as read?

And, I guess, the answer is --- as soon as possible, ie, as long as possible before your trip.

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atala

Your remarks, very much to the point, Nick-H, but:
Do you really think mosquitoes actually bite? A dog bites, opens its mouth, closes it with a fistful of your flesh in its jaws, but a mosquito???? It lowers its little hollow needle into your skin, and then sucks up whatever it can. To me that is stinging. But you are the English expert here

Nick-H

Ahhh... I see what you mean.

Yes, a mosquito uses modified mouth parts. That long thin thing is its version of jaws, and it uses a sawing action to get to your blood, which it eats.

Part of the job is injecting you with an anasthetic so that you don't feel it until it has had a chance to suck, but the prime object is eating-related, so this is a bite.

Wasps, bees, scorpions, etc, have stings at the other end of their bodies, which are all about injection, rather than sucking.

That's the English lesson!

Now I expect someone will be along to tell me about something that a sting at the front end and a mouth at the back end!

Male mosquitoes just feed from flowers, as does the female except when she is about to lay eggs.

They must breed a lot --- because they sure bite a lot !

atala

You know, actually I came to my mistranslation thru my "German thinking". In German these intelligent little things are called Stechmücken, and their activity is called "stechen" which is "sting" in English. In German it would not make sense to say that mosquites bite, "beissen". On the other hand, their bite causes what one calls in German "beissen", namely itching, another connotation of the word. Too much digression now.

But that was interesting

One almost would want to like them for that

Nick-H

An English lesson swapped for a German lesson Believe me, I have tried, but ended up employing weapons of mass destruction against the few that get past my netted windows and doors.

amarama

if you get sick very easy, the last thing you should be doing before a trip is shocking the hell out of your system. Possibly in some situations, vaccines are important. However, this is a very very bad idea. I could write the rest of the day about this subject, but its one of those things, where as people have their opinion, and they are not willing to change it.
So if it will help you, they make a homopathic remedy as an alternative to the toxic ones. They come in a kit, check online. As admitted by the Us milatary, the drugs to prevent Malaria, are now worse then the disease itself. Educate yourself as to where you will be traveling, and what you will be exposed to. A huge resource for vaccine, and there dangers exists, educate yourself.

Nick-H

Not my view at all. I do not understand this 'shocking the hell out of your system' thing. Your immune system is your bouncer; try shocking the hell out of a bouncer, I'm sure it wouldn't be very easy!

Vaccination gives the immune system a work out and makes it stronger.

That's my theory, anyway --- and it is all theories.

The thing that is going to prompt me into getting another round is my tetanus jab is now out of date. Never mind the mossies: walking on a thorn can kill you: at least get a tetanus jab!

I wouldn't blame anyone for checking out the controversy on this, though, and researching the specific vaccines they are considering.

I do find that many of the anti-vaccination people I have met are not old enough to remember polio and diptheria --- and smallpox?

Nick-H

Oh dear; such a sweeping statement. I really don't want to start an argument, but...

now used --- ? many of them have been in use for ages.

The military --- what military, and why should they be the ones we listen to on this?

What antimalarials? --- there are so many of them that such a sweeping statement seems impossible anyway

worse than the disease --- what, you mean they kill you? Or make you severely ill?

Larium --- Ahh... you could have a point on that one. Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole

Anyway... current advise in UK is not to take prophylactics in many areas of India.

Did you know (I heard it on the news yesterday) that progress has been made in developing a malarial vaccine? Work is progressing in Africa, where babies are dying every minute from the disease, and, in early tests, it has been successful.

Jamie11

well said

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Jamie11

do you research on Smallpox etc, this disease was all ready decling before the vacination was introduced.

amarama

Nick these are very good questions that you are asking! However, I'm not your man to answer these, please, read an article or two, there is tons of them. As far as why we should listen to the USA milatary. Much of the technology in your home, is first run by the military, for farther development and testing- Everything could have the potential to become a weapon. Here in America, we do not waste our tax money on education or health care, or other social programs,we spend it on defense. So if you want to know, is something good, does it work, ask the milatary. They have throughly tested it. If soldiers are going off to war, the most effective ways of surviving are very important- yeah! Okay, my times up, maybe someone else will pick up