To Innoculate or Not to Innoculate before heading to South America...that is Part of the Question


Advertisement
Ecuador's flag
South America » Ecuador
September 5th 2009
Published: September 6th 2009
Edit Blog Post

vaccinevaccinevaccine

To Innoculate or Not? Or What to Innoculate For?
Four months to go before we head off to Ecuador and Peru for our four month family travel/volunteer trip. I went to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, to learn more about traveler's health recommendations for Ecuador and Peru. Measles, H1N1, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Rabies, Malaria... Oh My!

Needless to say, our heads are spinning around as we try to make heads or tails out of all of this. While I want to take all necessary precautionary measures as we head off to a region of the world that may have different health threats than we are used to, I don't want to subject ourselves (especially the children) un-necessarily to innoculations that we may not really need.

So -- I am inviting anyone who reads our travel blog to put in their 2-cents worth of advice or information on this topic.

La Familia Dunning

Advertisement



7th September 2009

I say YES
Hi folks - yes, I think you should. but, of course, talk with your daughters' physicians to make sure there are no special considerations for them. I think if the CDC says you need the shots, I say get them. They must have some reason for recommending. I myself cannot get certain vaccines and may never be able to travel to certain parts of the world - so personally, I think if someone is able to get shots and tavel, they should. IMHO - Linda
10th September 2009

Innoculate
Innoculate. Absolutely, no question about it.
11th September 2009

immunizations
Hello, I am a Canadian who is married to an Ecuadorian and I have lived in Ecuador for 9 months (back in 1994) and I have travelled to Ecuador many (about 10) times. Each of my children have been to Ecuador several times. When I first went, I got all the recommended immunizations. The immunizations and medication recommended depends on the areas being visited and your intended activities. Yellow fever vaccination is only recommended if you will be visiting the Amazon basin. We did all get vaccinated on our last trip, free of charge, at a public hospital in Quito. This was recommended to me because there are cases of yellow fever in Ecuador and there is no treatment. None of us had any reaction more than a sore arm and now we are covered for 10 years. Malaria prophylaxis is also recommended for travel to the jungle and the coast. I am aware that some people decide agianst this, because of the possible side effects, and the fact that malaria is treatable, however I would still worry about falling ill once home and delays in diagnosis etc. I personally feel that typhoid immunization is wise as typhoid is transmitted through contaminated food and water. In our experience, the most common health problem that foreigners suffer from when visiting Ecuador is stomach upset/stomach infections. It is very important to be careful about what you eat and drink. I was not aware that there was an immunization available for dengue fever. Perhaps it is new. Hepatatis A is also a real risk, I know because my step-daughter contracted it in 1994 in Quito. Hep B is transmitted by blood products and body fluids I believe, so if you are not planning on engaging in any risky behavior, that may be one you can omit. I didn't get vaccinated for rabies either. I guess when making that decision you should think about whether you intend to be in close contact with animals. There are a lot of stray animals in some Ecuadorian cities and towns, but I have never heard of rabies. That's my 2 cents! Let me know if you have any questions. Cindy
13th September 2009

Necessary immunizations
Thanks Cindy, Do you know whether anyone can get free vaccines in Quito? I know that we will all our routine vaccines updated before we go and when my daughters have their routine exams with the pediatrician next week (who happens to travel a lot), we will also ask her. There is a travel clinic here in Bend, Oregon, but each shot is very expensive and of course several require more than one dose. I am not sure whether insurance will cover or not. We will be in Quito 2-3 weeks, then Banos for @ 1-month, then travel down to the northern coast of Peru (Trujillo). I don't anticipate trips to jungle, but of course one never knows. Thanks for your 2-cents! Very informative Shari
13th September 2009

Necessary immunizations
Linda, We'll be taking the girls to their pediatrician next week and will ask her advice as well. On the one hand, I do agree with getting the innoculations and preventing diseases, but I also know that some of the vaccines can also be a bit hard on the body -- so I am trying to find the right balance. I think that the CDC, necessarily so, is very conservative in listing all the potential diseases that are out there. The advice is sometimes ambiguous and changes frequently. So, I think searching for 'real world' experience is very helpful too. Shari
13th September 2009

Necessary immunizations
Nomadic Dreams, Thanks for your input. Shari (a.k.a. farmgirl)
15th September 2009

Dukoral
Connie, Well, I did a preliminary search on the internet on Dukoral. It looks like it could a good thing for us to consider. We too were very careful in Guatemala (or so we thought...), but Andy and I got the traveller's diarrhea (at Lago de Aitlan!). Well, alas -- I don't think that it is available in the U.S.A. - at least according to the 'bootsnall' website. We will certainly ask our physicians about it; wonder if we could just order it online somewhere? Thanks!! Shari and family

Tot: 0.175s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0591s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb