Do I need a vaccine for hepatitis B?

fakearms123

Do I need a vaccine for hepatitis B when I am going over to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos with my girlfriend?

I know its been done a million times over but I thought Hep B is only if you decide to enjoy the local talent over there.

whatsyourquota

it is recommended. I got it last year then got my bloods tested recently to check if it was effective and it hadnt worked!! :mad:
Im going to Asia again this summer but im not going to bother paying for it its supposed to be taken over 7 months anyway.
good thing to be vaccinated against though

Civilian_Target

I got Hep B vaccine in secondary school - you may have too!

fakearms123

I'm still on the fence whether I will need this shot or not, it will save me so much money not getting it

M450

Yeah Hep B is contracted through the transfer of bodily fluids, so if you're going with the gf u should be grand

mac123

M450 wrote: »

Yeah Hep B is contracted through the transfer of bodily fluids, so if you're going with the gf u should be grand

People have been known to get it when treated in hospitals too. Well worth getting the shot IMO.

I got mine, and topped it up a year later, as far as I know it lasts for 25 years or something.

Stinicker

I would advise getting it as it is a general precaution all travellers should take or at least are recommended to!

Since you have Thailand on your agenda let me advise you to consider getting the rabies vaccine, I was in Thailand in February and was bitten by a cat and had to get the PEP post exposure vaccine within 24hrs which is 5 injections over a month, and it has cost me more than if I had gotten it beforehand. In Thailand there are quite a few stray cats and dogs which are untouched due to their holy status in Buddhism, us westerners in shorts and sandals haven't much protection when we get on the wrong side of a stray!

Have a talk with your GP or a travel advisor like the TMB would be your best bet.

Civilian_Target

Hep B... I dunno, I got a general booster vaccine for all the ones I got in school (including Hep before going to Africa. Maybe that's your best bet.

Like Stinicker says, Rabies, definitely get that shot.

Vaccines are a bit like insurance - you get them in the hope you'll never need them... but if you find you do need them, you'll be glad you got them. If you're going around Thailand on a tour, staying in hotels, I honestly wouldn't bother. If you're going out adventuring though, you really should.

fakearms123

Hey I got my vaccinations two days ago, I got Pertussis + Diphtheria + Tetanus + Polio in one shot, Hepatitis A + B in another shot and Typhoid in a third shot.

I'll be going back to for the rest of the Hep B shots. I decided against the Rabies shot, if I get bit it only gives me extra time it doesnt prevent me from contracting rabies, ill have to go to the doctors straight away anyway, so its a giant waste of money in my eyes, I know some people will disagree but the nurses at the clinic said that I would be fine without it. All the above is what they recommended and its what I had decided on anyway. So I'm happy and feel relieved.

cooperguy

fakearms123 wrote: »

Hey I got my vaccinations two days ago, I got Pertussis + Diphtheria + Tetanus + Polio in one shot, Hepatitis A + B in another shot and Typhoid in a third shot.

I'll be going back to for the rest of the Hep B shots. I decided against the Rabies shot, if I get bit it only gives me extra time it doesnt prevent me from contracting rabies, ill have to go to the doctors straight away anyway, so its a giant waste of money in my eyes, I know some people will disagree but the nurses at the clinic said that I would be fine without it. All the above is what they recommended and its what I had decided on anyway. So I'm happy and feel relieved.

How much did it cost?

fakearms123

I got it for 275e

beagle001

ohh my you were fleaced mate

mectavba

Where is the best place in DUblin to go to get these jabs done??

fakearms123

beagle001 wrote: »

ohh my you were fleaced mate

Actually I wasn't, this price includes malaria tablets and with the clinic I went to I avoided going to see the doctor for these tablets, everything was dealt with by the nurses. I had asked other clinics for their price on the above vaccinations and tablets and they were quoting a price about a 60e dearer and that didnt include a doctors fee. Plus the clinic is very close to where I live so it saved me taking time off work and petrol to get there. http://www.gtv.ie/ this is one of clinics I looked at up in cork, the total if I had of gone to this clinic would of been 35e + 79e + 105e + 55e = 274e and thats not including the malaria tablets or travel expenses.

Ireland is an expensive country when it comes to medical care and these vaccinations are expensive, but I am willing to pay for it in order to have a safe trip and if it means I dont have to worry about these injections for travel in the near future then thats great for me. Just realised your the lad who said

One you do not need malaria tablets for Lao or Vietnam that I am certain of from personal experience living in both countries and have discussed this in other threads.

in the last thread. If thats the case then you must be immune to disease and therefore save yourself a lot on medical care. :rolleyes:

whatsyourquota

If your a student you can usually get the vaccinations for cheap in college because you wont have to pay for consultation.
Think I paid 75 for hep A and typhoid, 25 for polio, tetanus and dipherthia and 25 each for the hep b vaccinations.
Also malaria tablets are covered under the drug payment scheme which might save people money, I actually ended up getting mine for free and they were Malarone which are super expensive!

fakearms123

whatsyourquota wrote: »

If your a student you can usually get the vaccinations for cheap in college because you wont have to pay for consultation.
Think I paid 75 for hep A and typhoid, 25 for polio, tetanus and dipherthia and 25 each for the hep b vaccinations.
Also malaria tablets are covered under the drug payment scheme which might save people money, I actually ended up getting mine for free and they were Malarone which are super expensive!

I'm not in college anymore.

whatsyourquota

Ya I was just saying it for other people who might read the thread!

beagle001

fakearms123 wrote: »

Actually I wasn't, this price includes malaria tablets and with the clinic I went to I avoided going to see the doctor for these tablets, everything was dealt with by the nurses. I had asked other clinics for their price on the above vaccinations and tablets and they were quoting a price about a 60e dearer and that didnt include a doctors fee. Plus the clinic is very close to where I live so it saved me taking time off work and petrol to get there. http://www.gtv.ie/ this is one of clinics I looked at up in cork, the total if I had of gone to this clinic would of been 35e + 79e + 105e + 55e = 274e and thats not including the malaria tablets or travel expenses.

Ireland is an expensive country when it comes to medical care and these vaccinations are expensive, but I am willing to pay for it in order to have a safe trip and if it means I dont have to worry about these injections for travel in the near future then thats great for me. Just realised your the lad who said



in the last thread. If thats the case then you must be immune to disease and therefore save yourself a lot on medical care. :rolleyes:

Actually all the anti malarial tablets like doxyciclin will do is suppress the symptoms,they do not stop you getting malaria.
I have taken them whilst in Africa and might I add a much stronger form of Malaria exists and still contrcted malaria in malawi.
The advice from the doctors down there were that these pills were useless and if you you were extremley unlucky to catch it then they can infact increase your sickness.
There is no 100 percent way of preventing except spray and covering up are your best defence.
You were ripped off at that price I have never paid more than 110 euro for my jabs and that was as recent in 2008 in Ireland,must have had a big window in the place ehh.
P.S since you are a novice everyone makes these mistakes

beagle001

it just amazes me at the amount of scare mongering with regards to malaria in south east asia.
I have lived and worked both in the cities and out rural,no expats ever take malarial tablets and if you take doxyciclin you have a very high chance of experiencing acid regurgitation within a couple of days taking it.
The risk is not there but its at everyones discretion and I am sick of telling people they will find out for themselves once they arrive and wish they had not wasted the money on them.
As a side note you can walk into most pharmacies or general clinics in Bangkok which are everwhere and just buy the doxyciclin for a 3 month supply around 12 euro tops if you feel the need.
They will ripp you off here and no these are not generic drugs but are the same prescibed here.

fakearms123

beagle001 wrote: »

Actually all the anti malarial tablets like doxyciclin will do is suppress the symptoms,they do not stop you getting malaria.
I have taken them whilst in Africa and might I add a much stronger form of Malaria exists and still contrcted malaria in malawi.
The advice from the doctors down there were that these pills were useless and if you you were extremley unlucky to catch it then they can infact increase your sickness.
There is no 100 percent way of preventing except spray and covering up are your best defence.
You were ripped off at that price I have never paid more than 110 euro for my jabs and that was as recent in 2008 in Ireland,must have had a big window in the place ehh.
P.S since you are a novice everyone makes these mistakes

Whats the name of the clinic you went to so I can give them a ring?
And what vaccinations did you get that cost under 110 euro?

beagle001

I got my hep A and B,typhoid and a tetanus shot which is all thats needed for a holiday in Thailand/Lao.
I am not going to give out the address of my private docs residense but thats where i got my shots.
Been traveling to south east Asia since 98 and the best thing to get before you travel is health insurance as the western hospitals in Asia are top but they aint cheap.
You are more than likely going to visit them for a parasitic infection or a gastrointestinal infection rather than any major mosquito borne infection.
Your best to buy nothing in Ireland before you go but this you will only know when you get out there.
Sun cream,mosquito spray,electrolites,iodine and mortilium is what you need traveling in Asia and its also no harm to pack a good lactamase inhibitor like amoxicillin for the prolonged dodgy stomach.

fakearms123

beagle001 wrote: »

I got my hep A and B,typhoid and a tetanus shot which is all thats needed for a holiday in Thailand/Lao.
I am not going to give out the address of my private docs residense but thats where i got my shots.
Been traveling to south east Asia since 98 and the best thing to get before you travel is health insurance as the western hospitals in Asia are top but they aint cheap.
You are more than likely going to visit them for a parasitic infection or a gastrointestinal infection rather than any major mosquito borne infection.
Your best to buy nothing in Ireland before you go but this you will only know when you get out there.
Sun cream,mosquito spray,electrolites,iodine and mortilium is what you need traveling in Asia and its also no harm to pack a good lactamase inhibitor like amoxicillin for the prolonged dodgy stomach.

Listen I have spoken to dozens of people about the price for these vaccinations and they have all quoted me roughly the same price, keeping in mind I live in Kerry and I am well aware that if I still lived in Dublin I could walk into one the clinics up there and get those vaccinations for about 150e but unfortunately I dont live in Dublin anymore and it would be ridiculous to think about going up and back from Dublin for these vaccinations. I'm sorry but I still can't believe that you got all the vaccinations plus the 50 euro consultation with your private doctor for under 110 euro, unless it was in 1998 and it was 110 punt.

beagle001

No it was 2008 and in Galway and yes I paid 110 euro which I thought at the time was bloody expensive considering I had gooten them before on the continent for 70 5yrs previously and only wanted the booster but he gave me the lot again.
Don`t buy anything else here before you travel and get everything out there in bk your first few days,when you get to remote parts in Cambodia or Lao you will be thankful for those antibiotics if you are unfortunate enough to be down with a stomach infection.
They are cheap as chips and no need for a prescription,do your research if your alergic to any beforehand but they have saved me in these countries on countless times.
Up the very north of Lao or Cambodia you will struggle to find a doctor and often if you do they may also be moonlighting in several professions but happen to be the only one in the vilage with a medical encyclopedia.

Civilian_Target

Well, it kinda depends. You need the malarial shots if you're going to be on or near still water at a low altitude. That means most coastal or swampy regions near the equator will put you heavily at risk.
AFAIK most tablets don't prevent malaria, most of them simply lower the risk of bites and help dull down the symptoms if you get it. Of the commonly taken ones, only Malerone is curative.

As for your shots... e275 is a lot unless they're giving you Malerone... I paid e140 for 2 months of anti-malerials, hep b, rabies, yellow fever and a 3-in-1 Tetanus, Diptheria and Typhoid.

whatsyourquota

Isnt rabies like 50e a shot therefore making it 150e on its own so how did you manage to get all that for 140e. And there are 3 shots for hep b aswell