Question Vaccines for Indonesia

[Scubagermany]

Rabies vaccines are incredible expensive and you're likely to know if you've been bit or scratched by a mammal that carries rabies. I've heard (check with your doctor) that only folks who expect to be around and handling animals that carry rabies should get the shot.

Do not heed laymen advive when it concerns your life. You only have one. If you realize you have been bitten or somehow infected you have 24 hours to start your treatment or you will die. Be sure to have a hospital near you that can provide proper treatment if you are in some third world country. Otherwise you could just get the vaccine which has by the way not many adverse effects.

 

[revise]

Do not heed laymen advice when it concerns your life.

Yes.

If you realize you have been bitten or somehow infected you have 24 hours to start your treatment or you will die.

No.

 

[Scubagermany]

No

Do not project wrong ideas.
There are some lucky people who survive if treated with wound treatment, immunoglobulines and a series of vaccinations even if treatment did not start the first or second day but most people will die.

Just get vaccinated prophylactically.

 

[revise]

Do not project wrong ideas.
There are some lucky people who survive if treated with wound treatment, immunoglobulines and a series of vaccinations even if treatment did not start the first or second day but most people will die.

Just get vaccinated prophylactically.

Perhaps consider your own advice - "do not project wrong ideas."

I am not disputing that rabies is serious. Treatment must be sought if exposure occurs. I'm certainly not telling people to avoid the pre-exposure vaccinations IF they are recommended for the type of travel they will be doing.

As I originally quoted, my point of contention is the statement you made that you have 24 hours to start said treatment. That is grossly inaccurate.

Saying that might end up with someone that DID have an exposure that NEEDS treatment to not to bother following up on it if they can't get to a place with available treatment 7 days, 10 days after they were bitten, which could end in tragedy. Not arguing this point.

 

[uncfnp]

@Scubagermany Yes, under 24 hours is ideal but “or you will die” is decidedly overdramatic. Rabies can have a highly variable rate of onset so all is not lost if treatment delayed.

And in the meantime there is much you can do to help yourself. WASH THE WOUND! Studies have found that not only will immediate wound irrigation with water reduce bacterial infection but had also reduce the risk of viral rabies.

As a healthcare professional and a recent visitor to Bali, my personal choice was to forgo rabies vaccination and to instead use reasonable precautions. If however I knew I was going to a remote area of Indonesia with high risk I might choose differently.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Do not heed laymen advive when it concerns your life. You only have one. If you realize you have been bitten or somehow infected you have 24 hours to start your treatment or you will die. Be sure to have a hospital near you that can provide proper treatment if you are in some third world country. Otherwise you could just get the vaccine which has by the way not many adverse effects.

Keep in mind that you may be bitten or scratched by an animal that is NOT rabid.

I'm curious, are rabies vaccines paid for by the government in Germany? Rabies vaccines aren't recommended for US residents travelling overseas unless intending to handle animals that may carry rabies. It is very expensive to get the vaccines in advance, and likely would not be covered by insurance.

 

[Scubagermany]

Keep in mind that you may be bitten or scratched by an animal that is NOT rabid.

Yes, well we are not talking about a case in which you have not been exposed to rabies are we? Because in that case you do of course need no treatment do you?

I am not being overly dramatic. Rabies kills over 60000 people every year who have not been vaccinated.

The vaccination has almost no side effects.

Immonuglobulines for rabies are probably widely available on some remote island insouth east asia. It probably.much better to wait till you get bitten and take your chance someone there can provide you with some.

Of course you are right, you can play lottery and start treatment when you get home.

Of course, there is no effective treatment for rabies so the you will surely die.

So the choice is very easy.

 

[justinthedeeps]

Bali did have a rabies problem recently and there are plenty of feral street mutts. It does make one ponder the wisdom of going for a walk in some areas. Have only been encircled by little territorial displays, myself. Then there are the monkeys

Do we have any actual numbers on visitors being clinically infected?

Seems the way to handle mossies is to dress properly, go inside or behind a screen around sunset, sleep under a bed net, or take up chain smoking (local approach). Pretty sure the Bali mossies all have emphysema. Oh and fans help

Pretty funny (and unnatural) this idea that visitors should just grab a few jabs and a bottle of sun cream, and go be carefree nearly naked at all times everywhere like it's normal. Maybe take a cue from the locals.

 

[Umuntu]

I'm curious, are rabies vaccines paid for by the government in Germany? Rabies vaccines aren't recommended for US residents travelling overseas unless intending to handle animals that may carry rabies. It is very expensive to get the vaccines in advance, and likely would not be covered by insurance.

Almost everything healthcare related is astonomically overpriced in the US.

In the UK most GP surgeries and many pharmacies and travel clinics do travel vaccinations at relatively affordable prices. In the past, I recall being offered travel vaccines from different manufacturers too.

Travel vaccination advice

If you're planning to travel outside the UK, you may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world.

www.nhs.uk

 

[Scubagermany]

I'm curious, are rabies vaccines paid for by the government in Germany

The german government does not pay for vaccines exclusive covid.

But your health insurance does. Most pay for all travel relatet vaccines.