I recently visited a travel health clinic for the first time and got a series of shots and prescriptions for travel to Indonesia. I, too, travelled frequently without ever checking CDC recommendations, and probably did so this time because of the duration and cost of the trip (don't want anything to go wrong). It was somewhat of an "in for a penny, in for a pound" philosophy, but it's definitely a practice I would continue in the future.
We usually stay in relatively "problem free" areas, and I've never known a fellow traveler to get more than a mild case of traveler's diarrhea. Perhaps luck, perhaps not.
However, once you know what's out there, you might as well mitigate the risk, regardless of the degree, than go on vacation worrying about it. Don't be more concerned than the situation warrants, but do take precautions. In the end, peace of mind is what you're paying for, and the hope that you'll never know what could have happened.
As a side note, the nurse/consultant indicated that, more important than disease prevention, was a good travel health and medical evacuation insurance policy. She informed me that, regardless of destination, any traveler is at far greater risk of having an accident or other medical emergency than of contracting a disease. Many health insurance policies don't provide coverage outside of your home country, so unless you're otherwise covered, you're likely to foot the bill. Dive travel insurance may provide some relief, provided it also covers non-diving accidents. If not, a supplemental policy might be in order. Look for travel health coverage only - much cheaper than comprehensive "trip insurance" which also covers trip cancellation for a variety of reasons.
She knows of what she speaks - I've had three accidents in foreign countries that didn't require evacuation, but two that resulted in broken bones. Still, aren't vacations wonderful?
We usually stay in relatively "problem free" areas, and I've never known a fellow traveler to get more than a mild case of traveler's diarrhea. Perhaps luck, perhaps not.
However, once you know what's out there, you might as well mitigate the risk, regardless of the degree, than go on vacation worrying about it. Don't be more concerned than the situation warrants, but do take precautions. In the end, peace of mind is what you're paying for, and the hope that you'll never know what could have happened.
As a side note, the nurse/consultant indicated that, more important than disease prevention, was a good travel health and medical evacuation insurance policy. She informed me that, regardless of destination, any traveler is at far greater risk of having an accident or other medical emergency than of contracting a disease. Many health insurance policies don't provide coverage outside of your home country, so unless you're otherwise covered, you're likely to foot the bill. Dive travel insurance may provide some relief, provided it also covers non-diving accidents. If not, a supplemental policy might be in order. Look for travel health coverage only - much cheaper than comprehensive "trip insurance" which also covers trip cancellation for a variety of reasons.
She knows of what she speaks - I've had three accidents in foreign countries that didn't require evacuation, but two that resulted in broken bones. Still, aren't vacations wonderful?
