Vaccinations For A British Citizen

[sarahclous]

Im travelling from the UK to Thailand for the 3rd time. All previous visits have been for 2 weeks but I am staying 2-3months this time. Having investigated the vaccinations needed, Japanese encephalitis is recommended for stays for more than 4 weeks. Whats the general view here? Also whats your views on malaria as I havent took it before but for a long stay is it recommended although I will be staying in mainly touristy areas.

[KevinN]

Most have no shots at all before coming or while here,unless you will be in the forests and you said that you will not be,,so just come and enjoy.

[cathyy]

Get Hepatitis A and typhoid. They will limit how sick you can get from things like veggies washed in water from a 3-meters deep well. If you will be sexually active or using intravenous drugs get Hepatitis B. Get Hepatitis B anyway, in case of not-too-sterile needles and a potential accident or injury requiring a tetanus shot. Japanese encephalitis for only a month stay seems a bit excessive.

Don't laugh at the possibility of Hepatitis B from a shot. It happens to nurses sometimes if they accidentally poke themself with a needle after giving an injection to a person positive for hep B. HIV, too.

[KevinN]

Get Hepatitis A and typhoid. They will limit how sick you can get from things like veggies washed in water from a 3-meters deep well. If you will be sexually active or using intravenous drugs get Hepatitis B. Get Hepatitis B anyway, in case of not-too-sterile needles and a potential accident or injury requiring a tetanus shot. Japanese encephalitis for only a month stay seems a bit excessive.

Don't laugh at the possibility of Hepatitis B from a shot. It happens to nurses sometimes if they accidentally poke themself with a needle after giving an injection to a person positive for hep B. HIV, too.

sounds to me like ya better get an anti aids shot too,if you gonna do all that stuff you gonna get more that Hep-B

maybe just stay at home.

[bkkbound04]

i think as long as u aren't gonna go jungle trekking then the hep b/typhoid is all u'll get

i only had a hep jab last year as i'd had a typhoid a few mths b4

i think i only have to get a booster this year but i may be wrong :whistle:

i was told not to worry bout malaria as i was gonna be in built up areas -bkk pattaya etc

atb

[cathyy]

  If you will be sexually active or using intravenous drugs get Hepatitis B. Get Hepatitis B anyway, in case of not-too-sterile needles and a potential accident or injury requiring a tetanus shot. 

sounds to me like ya better get an anti aids shot too,if you gonna do all that stuff you gonna get more that Hep-B

I was merely covering all the potentially needed vaccinations, Kevin. I wasn't recommending any type of behavior, just allowing for the possibility of it. I don't know the guy asking, and certainly didn't intend to imply I expected that behavior. But nurses are taught to present things like that in a non-judgemental way. Guess I succeeded too well at it!

[andyinkat]

I believe that you're only suseptible to JE if you're in the habit of playing with pigs in paddy fields. Not a priority.

[waldwolf]

Believe you will find some answers here:

Health Information for Travelers to Southeast Asia

Questions and Answers About Japanese Encephalitis

(Above links are to Center for Disease Control, a US Government agency)

Have a great trip.

[KevinN]

  If you will be sexually active or using intravenous drugs get Hepatitis B. Get Hepatitis B anyway, in case of not-too-sterile needles and a potential accident or injury requiring a tetanus shot. 

sounds to me like ya better get an anti aids shot too,if you gonna do all that stuff you gonna get more that Hep-B

I was merely covering all the potentially needed vaccinations, Kevin. I wasn't recommending any type of behavior, just allowing for the possibility of it. I don't know the guy asking, and certainly didn't intend to imply I expected that behavior. But nurses are taught to present things like that in a non-judgemental way. Guess I succeeded too well at it!

I know that Cathy, so sorry,, but I do not understand why all the interest in shots anymore,,the shit that will kill ya,there is no shots for.

I have had colera,and have also had dozens of shots to prevent it, once after a thypoon in korea,they gave shots for it,and the dirty needle gave me serum hep, and it ###### near killed me.

I have not had a shot since they quit making you take em for O'seas travel and have not been sick since..

Used to be when sailing Merchant Marine that you got a full run of shots every time you went for a physical exam when going to work for a new company,and got the full series,even if you had just had them the week before,,never used the old shot card,,just issued you a new one. I have a couple of dozen shot cards and 5 or 6 old passports in an envelope in my papers. I have had so many smallpox vacs. that the doctors say it will not effect me even if they do use it in a WMD. so maybe some good comes from all the shots.

[cathyy]

I know that Cathy, so sorry,, but I do not understand why all the interest in shots anymore,,the shit that will kill ya,there is no shots for.

I have had colera,and have also had dozens of shots to prevent it, once after a thypoon in korea,they gave shots for it,and the dirty needle gave me serum hep, and it ###### near killed me.

Yeah, no shots for HIV.

In case you didn't know, serum hep is the old name for hepatitis B, C, or D back before they could tell them apart very well. And all of them can kill you; worse, they can NOT kill you but leave you a carrier infecting others but not apparently sick yourself. Hence the recommendation for the Hepatitis B shot.

Oddly enough, I too got Hep B from a needle...when I was donating blood, of all things! But I had a very minor infection, as hep B goes, and while I now have immunity I have no detectable virus/surface antigen in my blood. My liver enzymes go wacky sometimes, but other times they are normal. I never knew I had had it until the next time I went to donate blood.

Typhoid is a good idea due to the risk of becoming a carrier if you are infected, and infecting others while not being sick yourself. Remember the old "Typhoid Mary" stories, because they are true. Typhoid is also a very serious disease.

I remember feeling like a pincushion while I was in the USAF! I had to get a cholera shot every 6 months when I was in the PI. Those shots didn't bother me much. The typhoid shots sucked really badly, though. I couldn't move my arm for three days. The last one I got didn't bother me much after the first night. I guess I finally have a good level of immunity built up. I've had yellow fever, typhus and plague shots too, and I'm old enough to have had the smallpox vaccination as a child. Overall I see vaccinations as a good thing, and want to get them to avoid a serious illness. I have too much living to do to bother with being sick!

[Pepe']

Get Hepatitis A and typhoid.  They will limit how sick you can get from things like veggies washed in water from a 3-meters deep well. If you will be sexually active or using intravenous drugs get Hepatitis B. Get Hepatitis B anyway, in case of not-too-sterile needles and a potential accident or injury requiring a tetanus shot. Japanese encephalitis for only a month stay seems a bit excessive.

Don't laugh at the possibility of Hepatitis B from a shot. It happens to nurses sometimes if they accidentally poke themself with a needle after giving an injection to a person positive for hep B. HIV, too.

sounds to me like ya better get an anti aids shot too,if you gonna do all that stuff you gonna get more that Hep-B

maybe just stay at home.

I thought I was sober but now I'm not sure

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Another tussle with the red grape juice Pepe ?