What vaccinations did you have before moving to LOS?

Hails

I have a list of recommended vaccines here of Diphtheria, Hep A, Hep B, Japanese Encephalitis, Polio, Rabies, Tetanus, Typhoid Fever, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Which ones did you have?

Confused

dr dave soul monsta · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:09 am Post subject:

YOU HAVE MORE OR LESS THE LOT THERE!
check this link

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm#vaccines
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ricardo · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:11 am Post subject:

When I first came to S.E. Asia based out of Thailand I was vaccinated for everything you have listed above but that was to cover working in Sabah and Myanmar aswell.

Then for years never getting ill - I let them all expire - and caught Hep A 6 months ago, and got bit by a dog in Hua Hin 8 months ago - requiring a rabies jab.
But I am 90% sure I didn't catch the Hepatitis in Thailand.

Bumrungrad hospital recommended Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Tetanus, and Japanese Encaphilitis (not normally found in Thailand but will kill you pretty quickly).
I asked about Typhoid and Cholerah in Bumrungrad but they are only 30% effective and you would have to go to an area with a typhoid / cholerah outbreak to catch them. Interestingly Sao Paulo hospital in Hua Hin reckoned the Typhoid vaccination is 80% to 90% effective, but only because they wanted me pay for it. !!!

Malaria was found on Koh Samet - but that was 10+ years ago and I think it is no problem now.
There have also been some recent cases of Dengue Fever in Thailand but I am not sure where.

Viseman · Member Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 57 Location: St. Louis

I have to say, in the two times I have visited SE Asia, I have never recieved a vaccination for anything except Hep A (Which was because of a food service job in USA). I am not sure how much they are needed, but I guess I would rather have them and not need them than spend a great deal of time battling some preventable illness. I think that this time around, I may get the works done, if only to feel invincible.

Interesting to note, the only illness I have suffered through in LOS was food poisoning at an upscale hotel.

buksida · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:33 am Post subject:

I think I had Hep A and B, Tetanus and possibly Polio before moving to SEA 7 years ago. I havent had any boosters since then and as above the only thing I've had so far is food poisoning ... and plenty of hangovers.
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Wanderlust · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:00 am Post subject:

I was replying to this about 30 minutes ago but had a power cut half way through! I've had pretty similar to buksida with the booster jab 6 months on in Bangkok I think for the Hep A & B. I may also have had the Diptheria one but can't remember now. As far as I am aware there is not a vaccine (yet) against malaria and as has already been posted it is hardly seen in most areas of Thailand, and particularly tourist ones. I was warned off Japanese Encephalitis as apparently the side affects of the vaccination are almost as bad as getting the illness, although it can be a deadly disease.

Hails · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:44 am Post subject:

K so my list is pretty good, except for maybe Malaria if it doesn't exist.

Wanderlust hmmm do you think thats true about the Japanese one? Never heard of it before but seems like one I'll def need, but don't want my lil girl getting really sick from it...

Guess · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:51 pm Post subject:

I already have had Hep A and B so did not require it, however I got Hep C, which is uncurable by medicine and is very nasty and with most people symtons will remain for life.

I almost certainly got this from tap water getting into an open wound.

Malaria is normaly only a danger in border areas, particularly Northern and Western Thailand Myanamar borders, and the Trat border area with Cambodia. This includes Koh Chang.
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lomuamart · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:45 pm Post subject:

I didn't bother with any. I was considering cholera, but the doctor said the vaccine was useless. Hep A, but I've had it before and they checked to find I was immune. Typhoid, but I reckon you've got to be drinking out of a drain to get that and tetanus, but the doctor said that they were only recommending a certain number of jabs for that in a lifetime. I certainly had had more than the number mentioned, so gave it a miss.
Nevertheless, I'm sure it's better to get the jabs than take a chance.
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prcscct · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:23 pm Post subject:

Perhaps I am playing russian roulette but I haven't had anything except a tetanus booster since my first stay here 1970-73. Then, the US armed forces gave typhoid, plague, yellow fever, cholera etc. No hepatitus vaccine back then but they did give you something called a GG shot (gama globin?) which may have had something to do with hepatitus prevention. The serum was as thick as honey and it sat in a lump on your ass for a week and you damn well remembered it everytime you sat down. TB was only a tine test on your arm to see if it reacted. If it did, I guess then you were given further x-ray tests and then some kind of antibiotic. We had to take malaria prevention tablets every week. What was in those I don't know...quinine? All injections back then were given assembly line style with compressor powered air injection. Left arm and right arm at same time and then move to the next station for the next set. If you flinched while the air was ramming the serum through your flesh, it would cut you like a razor. Shocked

Oh what fond memories...LOL. Pete

Hails · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:28 pm Post subject:

Eek!

I can't take any chances with my daughter, she needs to have whatever is recommended. And if I'm going to put anything into her I'm going to take it too. She is completely unimmunised, hasn't had any of the normal childhood jabs as I'm not into them, but I know I have to now.

ricardo · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:05 pm Post subject:

Hails - I should have mentioned in my last post that I didn't get the Japanese Encephalitis jab despite Bumrungrad strongly recommending it.

It is a rare disease in Thailand and as Wanderlust posted it is also very uncomfortable - fever, nausea and a very tender arm for 3 days.

I just checked on the internet there were 700 cases in rural Thailand (mostly the North) in 1998 and those were the highest figures for 5 years.

So you could probably spare yourself and your daughter that vaccination at least.

Hails · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:08 am Post subject:

Hmmm we will be spending some time in rural Chiang Mai...

Is everyone in agreeance that Japanese Encephalitis is uneccessary?