What shots, meds, prophylaxis do you get for international travel?

[DandyDon]

This is a frequent question on various Regional travel forums, and may well be viewed differently by SB members in other countries. My usual approach is not much more than I keep up to date for living in the US, but then many Americans are not as well prepared for home living really - not as well as required of Texas school kids anyway.

I traveled around the Caribbean several times before scuba and even since without checking on suggestions from expert sources who certainly do know more than I do, and I was lucky - but I try to be more careful these days, as well as share good suggestions.

I am certainly not a medical professional, but this is what I have learned from some...

Hepatitis A: Good idea for US living and for any travel anywhere. Protects against a serious food & drink borne infection. Good for life I think. Local costs here: 2 shots @ $20 each*

Hepatitis B: Good idea for US living and for any travel anywhere. Well, you can probably avoid this okay if you avoid sex, needles and unplanned blood transfusions - but if I need blood after an accident somewhere, I'd like to be protected. Last I heard, tests for Hep B for donated blood are not perfect. Good for life I think. Local costs here: 3 shots @ $20 each*

Edit: I have only recently learned that there is a combined vaccine for both Hep A & B. Something to ask about.​

Typhoid: I've never done this one, but have recently been convinced by a member Physician. Protects for 5 years against a serious food & drink borne infection. "Typhoid Fever is fairly nasty and the immunization works well. The shot is quick and cheap, and typhoid is neither." Local costs here: $70 each*

Edit: There is also a 2 year vaccine, for some reason?​

MMR: Oops! I've never done that one. I need to investigate. See Vaccines: VDP-VAC/Combined/MMR/Clinical FAQs

Tetanus-diphtheria: I certainly keep that one up to date. I know an old farmer who was infected with tetanus, nearly died before they figured out what it was.

Malaria prophylaxis: If the CDC suggests if for my destination, I am happy to take the chloroquine. If a destination indicates other drugs, I'll give them a try.

For more reading: Destinations | CDC Travelers' Health Hehe, I saw an alleged nurse post on SB recently that she didn't take all of the CDC recommendations to heart since they were supported by the drug companies. :silly: You can hear anything I suppose.

Many do not get all of the above, I know. Their call, their risk, their health. I think they are all good ideas.

* Costs: I've heard that some clinics charge much more than the prices I quoted. Mine came from local county health department, where I try to get all of my vaccinations - faster, cheaper, easier - and are state regulated. Prices may well vary by states, but there is not much point in paying more that I know of.

Additionally, I don't pet dogs & cats on the street or other animals;
I wear my seat belt at all times on planes & vehicles; and
I wear my snorkel vest on small dive boats or walking around some areas of liveaboards. I look dumb; no, I don't care.

 

[sdiver68]

Don, good post! I've certainly learned a lot in the last few days trying to get my vaccines.

I think you could add Yellow Fever to the list as I see it commonly recommended for some dive spots. Also make sure to read up on the Yellow Fever vaccine, side effects can be unpleasant.

Rabies is another. I'm wavering on that one but probably will get it due to the monkeys who call the resort I'm staying at home, and the fact that I have dogs who like to play with other dogs here at home.

In regards to cost, absolutely check with whatever government agency is responsible in your area. Private clinics can be much higher, and insurance may not cover travel-related vaccines and drugs.

 

[robint]

We are retired military so we keep all our "regular" shots up to date. We have never been anywhere (other than Roatan or Yucatan Mainland, possibly) where shots have been needed and that is still questionable.
If we were to go to Southeast Asia, where I know they highly recommend shots, we would probably get them.


don - You wear a vest or BCD walking around on a liveaboard?????

 

[song]

Hep B vaccines are usually given as a series of 3 injections over a specific time period. Maybe the price has gone down but I paid a whole lot more, at wholesale, about 20yrs ago. The series of 3 shots may not be enough--need to get an antibody titer drawn to see if it "took." I had to get a total of 5 shots to acquire immunity and some people never do.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, good post! I've certainly learned a lot in the last few days trying to get my vaccines.

I think you could add Yellow Fever to the list as I see it commonly recommended for some dive spots. Also make sure to read up on the Yellow Fever vaccine, side effects can be unpleasant.

Rabies is another. I'm wavering on that one but probably will get it due to the monkeys who call the resort I'm staying at home, and the fact that I have dogs who like to play with other dogs here at home.

In regards to cost, absolutely check with whatever government agency is responsible in your area. Private clinics can be much higher, and insurance may not cover travel-related vaccines and drugs.

I'll read again on YF but hadn't noticed it suggested as much. I think the suggestions with rabies vaccine had to do with people working with mammals. I avoid touching any when traveling, usually easy to do, and in the worse case - if I had an unplanned encounter, there is a series to follow an incident, an unpleasant one, but still - unlike coming back to the US then coming down with malaria or typhoid.

Hep B vaccines are usually given as a series of 3 injections over a specific time period. Maybe the price has gone down but I paid a whole lot more, at wholesale, about 20yrs ago. The series of 3 shots may not be enough--need to get an antibody titer drawn to see if it "took." I had to get a total of 5 shots to acquire immunity and some people never do.

I think maybe the state set price for county health departments may well have gone down. I don't remember what I paid years ago but I thot much more. Perhaps the great state of Texas decided to push for more immunizations? It might even vary by counties in Texas, but I doubt it. Would you like to call your county health department, ask, and tell?

I was not advised of a followup test; maybe I should ask, but - there seems to be a shortage in the state system, and I am not in a mood to pay retail, so I don't guess it'd make much difference for me.

Oh I did call about the MMR. I think they felt like someone my age is assumed to have had them or otherwise immune.

 

[Mike]

Good idea. I spent 5 or 6 years traveling around the Caribbean before it finally dawned on me to look into immunizations. It took planning a trip to Roatan and the malaria risks associated with that area to get my butt in gear and get malaria, Hep A and B and get my tetanus status up to date.

No H1N1 even with going to Mexico though.

 

[diver 85]

No shots etc---if you get worried, just ignore all the malaria signs on the side of the road you see...

 

[rakay]

I got the yellow fever vaccine too.

 

[DeputyDan]

Except for Malaria - you should get these anyhow.

Travel or no travel!

 

[DandyDon]

Except for Malaria - you should get these anyhow.

Travel or no travel!

For US residents, I'd agree - other than Typhoid. I should get that one for my traveling tho.