Roatan immunizations

[dmaziuk]

I generally gorge on something like Lactobacillus for a couple of weeks before leaving and while I'm there... well, anywhere. It will boost your gut and help you resist minor GI issues. Failing that, eat lots of yogurt.

I drink kefir all the time (more cultures than yogurt, plus there's no such thing as "not live" kefir). I also take a handful of emergen-C packets and the water bottle to mix and drink on the plane there and back. And masks -- personally I'm more concerned with the airplane part of the whole trip, FWIW.

 

[wi divers]

Thank you all. Been through hep B for work. Take probiotics pretty much daily. I will check with doctor on last tetanus. Checked locally and learned if in WI you end up at a travel nurse in Green Bay, Madison, or Milwaukee. Thank goodness I’m only 50 miles north of Green Bay. Consult is $200, you pay and submit to insurance, they won’t bill insurance. After talking with the travel nurse office they review destination, probably same web sites we used, check your charts, admins Ter what is needed, if they have it. If they do not have it, they send you another travel nurse in Madison or Milwaukee, only another 90 more miles and day off work. You pay another consult fee of $200 and they give you whatever you are missing. Travel office said very few have meds available for yellow fever, so it is recommended that you know before you go. Kathy V is correct. The upfront costs make you think about other places to go, but from what I can tell there are a lot of tropical places with similar recommendations.

Lorenzoid, I did not find Roatán listed separately from mainland Honduras on CDC or WHO sites. It might be there, just hiding in plain site and I did not find it.

Dmaziak, who hasn’t eaten a little dirt in their lifetime? Still, I’ll probably avoid licking bar floors and sidewalks. However, you never know who was in the “ool” last. If people actually did keep the p out of pools we would all be better off.

I also agree with Seaweed Doc and Stoo. Everyone should get Hep A regardless of where you live. I am a Safe Quality Food Practitioner in my career. I get emails daily about outbreaks of Hep A, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and other nasty food born bacteria outbreaks. Some states and counties in US are mandating that all restaurant workers get Hep A vaccine since that is the most common way of spreading to people.

Thanks to all who responded. Safe travels, happy diving.

WI Divers

 

[dmaziuk]

Thank goodness I’m only 50 miles north of Green Bay.

Ever considered Canada for your healthcare?

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

I used to have a PDF file compiled by some of my physician-diver friends that listed the contents for a small not-crazy traveling med kit to support a single diver or a couple for diving pretty much anywhere on the planet. I think it got lost when my old computer died.

If I remember, it had an immunization section that listed that the following should be standard immunizations for the globe traveling diver.
Hep A (because questionable food and water is part of adventure!)
Hep B (bodily fluids happen)
Typhoid
Tetanus/diptheria (wrecks have pokey bits)
Yellow fever
Rabies (likelihood of getting bitten very low, but since you're getting stuck with needles anyway....)
Influenza (get a flu shot, because picking it up from the snot nosed kid in 15J is NOT an awesome way to start or end your trip)

As for kit prescription meds:
ZPack- get a Zpack for traveler's diarrea. You (or your bunkmate) will be thankful for those horsepills.
Neomycin-Polymyxin-Hydrocordisone Otic Solution - I get my doc to get a dual prescription for ear antibiotics before every dive trip, as I am prone to swimmers/divers ear. $5 and start using it the moment you get that slight ache.
Cipro - I get a 10 day supply and replace it every 2 years if I don't use it.
Malaria - Personally, the malaria pills I've been prescribed when traveling give me such bad dreams and hallucinations I just do without, lather up with deet and take my chances. The vaccine is 4 parts and not very effective. If they don't give you bad side effects, go for it.
Percocet/Vicodin - If you need these, you shouldn't be diving. But if you need these, you will be glad to have them! I have about 10 days worth in my kit. Make sure you have a prescription and keep the bottle with your info on it!

 

[drrich2]

Years ago I got the Hep. A vaccine at our local health dept. (IIRC, minimal cost). It was a 2 shot series with 6 months between shots, so bear that in mind.

I, too, got the Hep. B series due to my job, and that was a very long time ago (I think I even got a booster at some point, but even that was long ago), and it, too, involved more than one shot, spaced out.

My point is, some vaccinations require a substantial time course to complete. You may not want to wait till close to trip time to start.

Also in the past, I asked about Yellow Fever vaccination - whoever I asked didn't seem to know much about that. I don't know specifics, or how easy it is to get. Ditto Typhoid.

Richard.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

For my job I'm up to date on most immunizations... but they don't push yellow fever, rabies, and thypoid as of now. We did carry a bunch of deet type stuff. I got 0 bites. I do spray my exterior clothing with deet and put it in a ziplock for a couple of weeks prior to the trip. You can use permetherin but I ran out so deet it was.
The only thing I was upset at was finding out that after visiting Roatan you cannot donate blood for 1 year.

Just FYI re "expired" meds.

Are Drug Expiration Dates a Myth?