Not getting shots for SE Asia?

Mr Floyd

Is this a bad idea, intend going to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam etc and am a bit sceptical about about getting all those shots, have heard of cases where they do more bad than good, have a friend living in the area who said good mosquito cream is enough, would i be crazy not to get shots, thanks for any reply, been asked a hundred times I'm sure, anyone ever gone without them??

Bigcheeze

Depends where you're going. I got shots for typhoid and hepatitis but didn't take anti malarials as I wasn't spending much time in high risk malaria areas. When I did I was in air conditioned hotels and was careful about clothing and dete spray at night time

dearg lady

As above, it depends where you're going, and different doctors will recommend different shots.
The shots I got were Rabies, Hep A, Typhoid,and the Diptheria/Polio/Tetanus 3 in 1, note that these are not transmitted by mosquitoes!

There's always a risk with vaccinations, but given that these are not new and are administered often, I think the risks are probably minimal. Maybe do some research on the prevalance of negative side effects? Worst I got was a sore arm.

Anti malarials are something not all travellers take, some people have a bad reaction to them, it's really up to yourself. If you do decide to take them, buy them over there, it's way cheaper.

schemingbohemia

mosquito cream isn't going to protect you from typhoid or hepatitis!

presume you had inoculations as a child, why regard this as something different? you may have a small reaction but not very likely. they do last a good few years and i'd rather the small risk of a reaction here rather than suffering from anything over in SE Asia.

Bigcheeze

schemingbohemia wrote: »

mosquito cream isn't going to protect you from typhoid or hepatitis!

presume you had inoculations as a child, why regard this as something different? you may have a small reaction but not very likely. they do last a good few years and i'd rather the small risk of a reaction here rather than suffering from anything over in SE Asia.

I think people tend to think twice about the anti-malarial drugs due to reported side effects more so than the vaccinations. Although, if you're staying in modern hotels and drinking bottled water, I'd question the need to fear water borne diseases such as typhoid.

Also remember that there's a whole vaccination industry that needs people to be afraid of tropical diseases in order to survive and it's these same people who are often giving out the "advice" on what you should take.

I remember being told I needed anti-malarials before going on Safari in South Africa. When I checked local information I discovered it was the dry season and therefore there was no malaria risk.

badboyblast

Get the shots dude - People die from tropical diseases.

Mr Floyd

Thanks for the replies everyone, think I'll probably go with Hepatitus and Typhoid vaccinations, looks much cheaper to get it done in Bangkok, might do that, thanks again.

Bigcheeze

Mr Floyd wrote: »

Thanks for the replies everyone, think I'll probably go with Hepatitus and Typhoid vaccinations, looks much cheaper to get it done in Bangkok, might do that, thanks again.

I think the vaccinations take time to be effective.....10 days springs to mind.

Jev/N

Some countries also require that you have your card with the shots taken before you enter. Can't remember if many areas of SE Asia require this though.

You won't want to get shots over there, you can get a reaction and feel like shit for a couple of days after. Doesn't happen to everyone though.