Travel Vaccine

freeze4real

Hi All ,

I'm going to Africa for a couple of weeks and it seems that I need to get some vaccine.

I called a couple if pharmacies and they all said I have to go to a GP first and then get a prescription for vaccine. Factoring everything it's €250 quid gone.

Is there an alternative ?

Personally I hate the idea of having to take a vaccine. I've not been to Africa in a decade. I won't be in an hostel if some sort. One if my mates has a mansion down there and I wont be eating out as well.

ardmacha

If you need jabs, then you have to attend a doctor, someplace like the Tropical Medical Bureau will do it there and then http://www.tmb.ie/

Daisies

freeze4real wrote: »

Hi All ,

I'm going to Africa for a couple of weeks and it seems that I need to get some vaccine.

I called a couple if pharmacies and they all said I have to go to a GP first and then get a prescription for vaccine. Factoring everything it's €250 quid gone.

Is there an alternative ?

Personally I hate the idea of having to take a vaccine. I've not been to Africa in a decade. I won't be in an hostel if some sort. One if my mates has a mansion down there and I wont be eating out as well.

It sounds like you are talking about a specific vaccine. What one are you talking about?

Also what country are you going to? It's a big continent with various requirements for each country.

Shedite27

If you're in Dublin this guy is cheaper than most places.
http://www.d2medical.ie/travel_vaccine_centre.asp#tab1

freeze4real

I need on that covers yellow fever and malaria.
Unfortunately I'm in wexford.

killbillvol2

Yellow fever vaccine is about €40. You take pills for malaria, different pills depending on where you're travelling. I don't know where you're getting €250 from.

suds1984

I heard an ad for the TMB over the weekend offering a package deal for travel vaccines plus prescription for malaria tabs. Can't remember the price but could be worthwhile checking out. Wherever you go you'll need to go to a doctor anyway wheatear that be you're GP or a travel clinic. I know when I went travelling my GP did a package for me as I needed to attend for a few visits.

Sheldons Brain

If you get Malaria, you'd be quite willing to pay €250 to get rid of it.

Gatica

Depending on the number of days you have to take Malaria meds and the cost of them, it could be worthwhile doing it on a drugs payments scheme card.
The TMB does vaccines at 15% discount if you are with VHI and make appointment through them.
The types of vaccines depends very much on your holiday, so you really do need to see a specialist. The TMB were quite good and took into consideration the type of holiday, not just destination, e.g. nice hotel in the city, vs trekking out in the wild. So things such as friend's mansion could be taken into consideration.

dartstothesea

when you guys say the vaccine is €30 or €40 euro in some of the places linked to above, is that the overall cost or do they charge you another amount just to "see" them? I don't need anything other than yellow fever vaccine. Cheers!

Gatica

I think we were charged 40 Euro (can't remember amount for sure) for an initial consultation at TMB and then for the vaccines separately. Once we'd done the consultation, the rest of the dozen or so vaccines were charged per vaccine and no other practitioner fee or such.

Shedite27

Yeah check it out before ya sign up to anything. Think I got the rabies vaccine once that required 3 visits to the doc but the place I went with charged only one consultation fee.

dartstothesea

Cool. Thanks. Looks like I'm paying maybe 80 euro or more no matter what then. I'll go to that D2 medical guy where it's 85 altogether

Stan27

I'm going to brazil in 6 weeks time I think te injections will be around €100 or something like that. It's not cheap

Gatica

Stan27 wrote: »

I'm going to brazil in 6 weeks time I think te injections will be around €100 or something like that. It's not cheap

That is cheap. Cost us 950pp for SE Asia. Luckily I'd been before with work so only paid the difference of 450.

cooperguy

Gatica wrote: »

That is cheap. Cost us 950pp for SE Asia. Luckily I'd been before with work so only paid the difference of 450.

Wow what did you get for all that? I was around that end of the world a couple of years ago and didnt spend near that amount.

O.P., www.tmb.ie will give you a list of recommended vaccines for each country. I assume you have the other vaccines required for the country you are visiting because I think most of them require more the Yellow Fever? I am going to South Africa this week, ill save you the trouble of shopping around for the cheapest malaria pills (there is a massive difference between pharmacies!). 19 days of Malarone cost me €60 in Boots. You will need a prescription from your doctor before you can buy it though.

Shedite27

Gatica wrote: »

That is cheap. Cost us 950pp for SE Asia. Luckily I'd been before with work so only paid the difference of 450.

Crikey. They saw you coming. Shouldn't be anywhere near that for anywhere in the world

Gatica

Ok, I think I overdid it there and my memory betrayed me. It cost us around the 950 mark for both of us, not each! :rolleyes:
Sorry for giving ye the shock there!
It would've been more though if I had to have some of the vaccines... Here's the approximate breakdown from my records:
consultation 40 * 2
Hep A/B blood test (cos I'd had the vaccine before) 10
Hep A/B combo 43 + 43 + 43
Rabies (30 + 30 +30) * 2
Typhoid 25 * 2
Tetanus/Diphtheria 20
Japanese Encephalitis (90 + 90) * 2
Malarone tablets for 37 days @ ~3pp/day (with one month paid on the Drugs Payments Scheme)

Without the DPS it would've been closer to 1200 (for both, not each )...

DonnaDarko09

I'm looking at about 500 for vaccines..there doesn't seem to be much in the difference of prices charged here in dublin .i was wondering if anyone could make a reccommendation on basis of knowledge or care given? or does it even matter that much? im thinking of going with the D2 medical centre or TMB, I really never thought they would be this expensive!

Gatica

as you can see from my breakdown above it does all add up. We got a 15% discount when booking the appointments with TMB through our VHI (if you're a member). You may be able to claim for vaccines from your health insurance, depending on the type of cover, and for tax back at the end of the year.
The consultation was also a little cheaper per person when more than one person visiting at the same time, e.g. if there's a group of you travelling together you could do the consultation at the same time and then do your vaccines at your own times.
Personally I did find TMB prices cheaper than my own GP and another practice in Galway that advertised themselves as a travel/vaccine clinic.

galwayjohn89

I personally would go with TMB (I just went yesterday) They have a good reputation and a lot of experience. They take the time to go through all the possible vaccines you would need but don't push you to get them all.