A Spoonful of Sugar...

---

With the departure date less than 2 months away (eek!), trip preparations have really launched into full gear. One of the main things I have been dealing with since the spring is vaccinations. To go to Asia for an extended period of time entails a lot more shots than I could have imagined. I budgeted about 500$ for vaccinations and medications, and after my first doctor's appointment that pretty much flew out the window.
A couple of great tips on how to save on vaccinations:
-Try to get as many as you can through your general physician. The second I stepped foot in a designated travel clinic, I had to pay full price out of pocket, including the doctor's visit, as insurance doesn't cover any of it.
-Check out the county health clinic, sometimes they can provide vaccinations at better rates than a travel clinic.

Here is a rough summary of the vaccinations I had to get:

Typhoid: 75$
Hep-A: 2 shot series, 85$ Each
Meningitis: Luckily I had this shot before entering college, so I was good here
MMR: Again, got this as a child so I was good
Tetanus Booster: 40$
Rabies: 3 Shot series, 185$ each
Japanese Encephalitis: 3 Shot series, 145$ each. This was a particurally fun one, as the side affects for this vaccination include a chance of going into anaphalactic shock at any point for the 2 weeks after you recieve it.
Malaria Pills: This was another area of debate. There is a generic brand (Dypox...something) that is cheaper, but many people have harsh side effects that include skin rashes and hyper-sensitivity to the sun. Anyone who knows me knows I don't have exactly a "sun-friendly" complexion, so that was out of the question. However, Malarone, the "nicer" medication, is 4$ a day! If I took Malaria pills the entire time I was in Asia that would be about 250$. After talking to a number of people, I got the impression that Malaria medication is not 100% nessecary unless there is a current outbreak. So I'm still on the fench as to whether I will be taking a full 2 months worth of Malaria medications with me.
Perhaps this blog should be titled "Does Alissa Get Malaria? Stay tuned to find out!"

---