Hi,
We are travelling to India. Then all over SE Asia from Indonesia up to Laos.
Wanted to know if other people vaccinated against hepatitis A and/or B? Or any other disease?
Also What are the best medicines to take to avoid getting malaria or any other nasty bugs.
Last time I was in Thailand I got food poisoning and experienced a Thai hospital.
Although it wasn't to bad I do not wish to repeat the experience.
If you have any other tips or awesome places to visit or good guest houses to stay at please let me know. We are going to all the normal touristy places, but would like to go off the beaten track a bit also.
Reply to this i'd think getting vaccinated for hepatitis is probably the one vaccine everyone would agree that you absolutly need.
Reply to this Hello Tyler 😊
Most people get vaccinated against Hep A. You might as well get vaccinated against Hep B at the same time because there is a combination vaccination available for both of them.
I vaccinate also againt Typhoid. I also take Malaria prevention pills when going to a high risk area.
I got a polio booster for my childhood vaccination. The booster lasts for life.
If you did not get measles, mumps and rubella as a child you could get the combo vaccine for these. I was vaccinated against rubella as a child. I got the other diseases as a child so am now immune.
The current best medication for Malaria is Malarone. This is however expensive. Doxycycline is a good and much less expensive alternative.
It is difficult to prevent food poisoning in India. Most people get some type of stomach bug when they go there. The vaccines go some way to preventing very serious illness but most are not 100% effective and there is not a vaccine for every illness.
Mel
Reply to this If you are going to Mumbai the Bentley hotel is a good and good value place to stay and in a good location too. Book in advance because it is popular.
Bentley hotel Reply to this Hi Tyler,
I'll be travelling India and parts of SE Asia as well. It would be best if you could get to a traveller's clinic and they would advise on the type of vaccines you need. I had the following last week:
- Hep A & B (combined vaccine as what Mel stated) - 3 jabs (1st 2 doses a month apart and the 3rd one 6 months later). If you're not in time for the 3rd one, go for the 1st 2 doses anyway, as my doctor said the 1st 2 shots are the most important. The 3rd one is only a booster.
- Typhoid
- Diphtheria & Tetanus (ADT)
- Cholera (2 oral doses a week apart) - for contaminated water
- Polio (taken orally 2 drops)
My doctor also recommended Rabies (2 jabs) when she heard I'm going to India, and also Japanese B encephalitis, this is for rural areas in SE Asia and India. I'm still considering on Rabies though, as it's really expensive per inject.
And I bought anti-malaria pills too, but it's the cheapest kind called Mefloquine. There'll be some side-effects, so ask for your doctor's advice.
Also, you'll need insect repellant. And get anti-diarrhoea pills from the pharmacy ;-)
Hope this helps! Safe travels! 😊
- Shao
Reply to this - Cholera (2 oral doses a week apart) - for contaminated water
This one is not worth bothering with unless you are going to an area which currently has an outbreak of Cholera. Most clinics dont bother to recommend this vaccine anymore because it is effective for only a short time.
Reply to this I think rabies is an important jab to get - even if it is expensive. It's just not worth taking the risk - if you think that it's a disease so bad that even with having had the vaccine, if you were to get bitten, you still need to go and get injections to make sure the disease doesn't develop.
It's not just dogs that are an issue - lots of animals carry rabies, and there are plenty of places in India and SE Asia where there are wild monkeys who can bite and plenty of them do. That's not to panic you unduly, but don't skip the rabies vaccine, it's really not worth it.
Reply to this Yeah, the Cholera vaccine is only effective for 2 years. I took it for the peace of mind I guess..
Thanks for the advice, Deb. I think I'll get the rabies jabs after all. You're right. It's just not worth taking the risk.
Just wondering, how do you guys ensure that you're drinking clean water all the time, if there is no chance of boiling it? Do you stick to bottled water? Or has anyone tried using water sterilisation drops/tablets, or even a water purifier?
Reply to this It lasts 2 years!? I didnt know that. I got the impression that it last only for weeks. The vaccination clinic I got my vaccinations at told me it is not worth getting.
I generally stick to bottled water in countries where the water from the taps is not drinkable. It is generally not expensive but then there are all the plastic bottles that some countires do not have the facilities to recycle properly...
Reply to this I forgot to mention, you can check the WHO(world health organisation) website for vaccination recommendations and health advise for all countries.
Reply to this Apparently, what I had taken is a new Cholera vaccine called Dukoral. It's in the form of a fizzy drink, not too bad tasting =D I just found out that it is highly effective and lasts longer as compared to its "predecessor" and it seems to have some protection against travellers' diarrhoea too.
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