reccomendations for shots? going to koh tao

[Island Hoppa]

hey everyone
im going to be living on koh tao for 3 months leaving here soon. i was just in guam for awhile, then i was in south florida for the holiday, now im back in philly visiting some friends. i will be leaving here in a few weeks for koh tao for 3 months. i understand that koh tao was not affected by the tsunamis in any way. i was wondering if it was smart to get some kind of shots before moving to koh tao. i could be completely wrong about all of this but reading posts about all these medical conditions in thailand kind of worries me. i really dont want to get sick. if i should get shots what diseases should i get them for? any input would be awesome. thanks!!

 

[Shader]

hey everyone
im going to be living on koh tao for 3 months leaving here soon. i was just in guam for awhile, then i was in south florida for the holiday, now im back in philly visiting some friends. i will be leaving here in a few weeks for koh tao for 3 months. i understand that koh tao was not affected by the tsunamis in any way. i was wondering if it was smart to get some kind of shots before moving to koh tao. i could be completely wrong about all of this but reading posts about all these medical conditions in thailand kind of worries me. i really dont want to get sick. if i should get shots what diseases should i get them for? any input would be awesome. thanks!!

I am actually leaving for Koh Tao this thursday and will be there over a month doing my Dm and IDC. To be on the safe side and in case I do make it over to Phuket I went and got my shots from the travel doctors at Northwest Memorial Hospital here in Chicago. They are updated continously by The Center for Disease Control and have travel specific data and charts on what types of medications and shots are required for specific areas of travel. I received shots for Influenza, Tetanus, Hepatitus A, and am finishing my oral med for Typhoid today. The doctor was very informative and thorough in explaining what and why I needed certain meds or shots. My girlfriend is also going to take an oral med for Malaria since she will be in the northern part of Thailand in Chiang Mai but this is not necessary in the southern part and Koh Tao. We both got Cipro prescribed as well in case we get a bad case of diahrrea. There are usually travel medecine centers at all major hospitals that would be worth looking into

 

[ssra30]

Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are always advisable for anyone planning on spending extended period in SE Asia. However hep B vaccine takes 6 months to complete the course so it is almost always too late to start the series when one plans a trip.
I was a bit surprise about typhoid since I hvae not seen that in a long time. Chiang Mai is also not exactly in the malaria infested area. Generally the western provinces bordering Burma and eastern provinces bordering Cambodia are the area that malaria prophylaxis is recommended.
Flu shot is not a bad idea but noted that in Thailand, you can get 2 different type of flu shot, northern hemisphere strain (same as the US) and sourthern hemisphere strain (from Australia) so take a pick which flu shot you want. As I understand, the flu shot in the US is geared toward what the CDC expected to be an outbreak in the US so it may or may not help when you travel.

For Koh Tao, I would say that beside hepatitis (for those who are staying an extended period of time) there is really no need for any specific immunization. (assuming you have all your usual childhood vaccination ie MMR, DPT, polio etc and have your tetenas booster every 10 years).
Cipro is handy for acute diarrhea but it is widely available in pharmacy over here and the generic version is about 15 cents a pill rather than the $5 a pill I used to pay in the US.

 

[Louie]

In addition to the important basic shots: Hep A, Tetanus, Polio, typhoid, you may want to consider Hep B.
I've been advised about Japanese Encephalitis by some travel physicians but it may be a way to sell some rather pricey shots.

More importantly, as I learned during my six months on Koh Tao is to be prepared for those annoying little ailments and mishaps that come as part of the course.

You'll probably be riding a motorbike for transport - and as so many discover - falling off is fact of life. It is easy to get infections in the waters around KT. Take some good waterproof bandages/plasters. Something called "Second Skin" may be good.

Stomach bugs are common. Take your favourite remedies.

And of course: waterproof sunblock in large quantities and insect repellent.

Have fun and I may run into you in a few months time