Worrying about which Vaccinations to Get - please help!!

ArtJunkie

Hi everyone, I've had a good look at previous messages in this forum but still feeling worried and confused about what to get.

I went to my GP recently and the nurse said I only needed the combined Hepatitis A and Typhoid injection. She didn't seem too bothered that I wasn't even sure which vaccinations I'd had as a child, and that I don't even know whether I have Diphtheria and Tetanus! I only know that I have the BCG and Meningitis ones.

The thing is I'll be in India for 9 months and will be volunteering for 2 months in Delhi, 2 months in Calcutta and 3 months in Cochin. As well as this I'll be travelling to places like Tamil Nadu, Dharamsala/ Ladakh, parts of Northern India, Rajasthan, all around Kerala, Mumbai/ Ajanta.... and probably various other places. I told my nurse this and she seemed pretty sure about me not needing all the other vaccinations.

So I was just wondering, considering the places and amount of time I'm going for, should I insist on getting the injections for Hepatitis B, Rabies, Japanese E. and any others? I'm 18 and this trip will be my gap year destination, just getting quite concerned about the medical stuff!

Thank you so much if you've read to the end of this very long message!! Best wishes,

goangoangone

You need Tetanus/Diptheria and a polio booster. Here's some info..
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destin...sia/india.html
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/indianrg.htm#vaccines
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/asia/india.shtml

__________________
GoanGoan......here

wonderwomanusa

Get the combined Hep A/Hep B, and a polio shot, too -- as well as the others recommended by goangoangone. And get some anti-malaria stuff, too.

There are still plenty of diseases you can get for which there are no vaccinations... read the CDC website!

Jack50

My advice is to seek out a travel medicine specialist. I wasn't even aware there was such a thing until my regular Dr referred me to one. He was extremely knowledgable and up-to-date on all recent outbreaks in India. Consequently, I feel very well prepared.

dirtyfoot

hiya,
you can also get information on www.masta.org
this is the website my gp used when advising my on what vacciantions to get.
have an amazing trip and i wish you well!

hellesangel

There's no simple answer to your questions - only 'it depends'. Typically the questions for each vaccination are:

1) Are you going to a high risk area at a high risk time?
2) Are you travelling to remote areas away from emergency medical assistance?
3) Do you have any natural resistance or earlier vaccinations that are still OK?

I'm staying in Bangalore for six months and was advised by the Tropical Medicine Institute of the University of Munich, Germany that:

Hep A&B - Very good idea to have this despite the low risk.
Tetanus - Essential
Rabies - Probably a good idea. Wild dogs and monkeys are common in India.
Japanese Encephalitis - unnecessary unless going to rice fields in monsoon. Jab can have very nasty side effects too.
Typhoid - also a good idea

Malaria is a risk everywhere in India but if you stay in the cities (near emergency treatment) and take careful precautions to avoid being bitten then anti-malarials are not essential. The bad side effects, and high chance of getting them, of many of these drugs make them really unpleasant and the relatively low risk of malaria does not warrant these effects. I was advised to bring an emergency course of anti-malarial drugs (Lariam 8x 250mg) and take care not to be bitten. Here specialist advice tailored to your specific circumstances is essential.

In any case the most likely problem is still simply an upset stomach...

hellesangel

Oh, and the CDC website mentioned earlier is excellent, but like most general sources of information tends to be quite pessimistic. This is sensible, to err on the side of caution when dispensing general advice.

michaelpeterson

This is a good summary. Remember, Hep A/B take two weeks after the first short to be effective and the series is 3 shots. 2nd one 30 days after the first and the 3rd a year later. Good luck.