Baby vaccinations / Rishikesh

lindsayc

Hi there, I posted already about taking an 8 month old to India but only got one response, so thought Id try a different approach!
Something thats mainly on my mind about it is vaccinations, or lack of them as she will only be 8 months old (only her first 3 lots). The nurse really frowned at me today for even thinking about it!
We are planning to stay in Rishikesh.
Any advice please on the overall safety factor here, thanks a lot.

__________________
Lindsay C

delhiwala

You can continue the vaccination programme at Rishikesh also... It has many Doctors....

__________________
Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

wonderwomanusa

IS there no local travel clinic in your area?

__________________
The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

edwardseco

I would consult a pediatrician not a nurse..

Nick-H

So would I, and, if it is at all possibles, one specialising in tropical medicine?

lindsayc

Sure she can get her other jabs when we are there, but she wont be immunised in the meantime - babies are immunised in stages of age, hence being told by the heath service here to wait until she is one.

I would rather see a paedatritian, but on the NHS you are not offered this; its nurses only, and as for anyone with trpoical disease knowledge, thats only one hospital in the UK, but Ill give them a try .

It must be said that health professionals here tend to look at India as a whole place rather than different regions. For example I understand there is hardly a mosquito threat at all in rishikesh but by drs / nurses here wouldnt take that into account and recommend anti malarials wherever you go.

Difficult.

livinhimalayas

well mosquitoes are everywhere even in Rishikesh and as for vaccinations if you get the vaccination card for your baby with the vaccinations that have already been given, you can consult a Pediatrician in Rishikesh and get the rest of them done there as per schedule.

__________________
He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees. - Benjamin Franklin

lindsayc

thankyou. Yes I understand that I can have the immunisations done in India, but as I mentioned, some vaccinations cant be given as she is too young, whether here or there. Thats why Im trying to weigh up what to do, as she will therefore be at greater risk from some diseases.

Again, I understood there was no malaria risk in that region....so Ive been given so much conflicting info which is why Im so confused. Im just trying to do the right thing by my baby by asking people with experience rather than just listening to health professionals here.

Nick-H

They might, but they certainlys shouldn't, because the published guidelines, from which they should be working, don't.

Cut out the middle man, and read the book itself, downloadable from -->here. Do check their site for updates to the area, though, like Goa, which is now rated higher-risk than noted in the book.

There is some malaria risk everywhere in India below a certain altitude.

I won't say any more on this; probably more threads on this subject than any other!

lindsayc

Thanks, I know what you mean, Ive read a lot on here about travel but I spose when youre looking at somewhere specific its worth asking for peoples experiences.

Nick-H

No problem with that... small children do crop up in the malria threads, but small babies not so much. Thing is, with a child that small, I think everybody will say to see a doc... it is too much responsibility to hazard a guess on a travel site.

Has anybody mentioned dehydration? Dangerous for everybody in the tropical heat, but especially important to keep giving fluid to a baby. Apparently they can go from fine to sunstroke very quickly.

edwardseco

Nick just gets better & better with retirement. This is my way of saying he has made some very important points..

Nick-H

Or...

Is it your way of saying I'm getting old!

kalikaleidoscope

We are going to an area with lots of mosquitoes, so I think we will put baby to sleep or at least have him inside before dusk. I don't think you can give a baby anti-malarial meds.
I asked the nurse here also about health advice and she told me to look on the internet! So much for the NHS!!

Nick-H

Please see the link in my post #9 above. This is the NHS malaria source material that your nurse should either have been familiar with, or consulted.

You cannot work on suppositions when it comes to disease risks for a baby. The booklet I linked to is all about malaria; do read it (it is very layman-readable), but also please talk to a doctor before bringing an infant to India.