Jabs/injections

[mrmojo]

Hi I will be travelling to Thailand for the first time in May until July, I am 24 and living in the UK. I will be travelling to Bangkok then down south, east and west coast.

What jabs will I need to get?

Is it advisable to take a course of malaria tablets or not?

[britmaveric]

Hi I will be travelling to Thailand for the first time in May until July, I am 24 and living in the UK. I will be travelling to Bangkok then down south, east and west coast.

What jabs will I need to get?

Is it advisable to take a course of malaria tablets or not?

No, not unless you plan on jungle trekking.

[sierra01]

Ask the Clinic what you need, 4 years ago they were free, if they're still free then have them, if not don't bother. Brit has it right.

[lomatopo]

I'd recommend Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid.

I can't remember how all these worked? Typhoid might have been pills? Hep A, one shot, Hep B, three shots over six months?

Tetanus/Diptheria vaccine or booster is a good idea too.

Malaria info. re: SE Asia

[Prakanong2005]

I am with Lomatopo with this one but having said that I do work at a very large vaccine developer and manufacturer ;-)

I am not a clinician so I would always say see a specialist travel medecine Dr but below is my personal info gleaned from various first hand sources.

For anywhere I would get covered for the following

DTP (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) single booster likley

Hep A and B (A is fre in the UK and sometimes B depending on Dr - tell them you might have sex in Thailand) - there is a dual vaccine callend "Twinrix" which covers both and is deliverd on day 0, month 1 and month 3 to provide max cover.

Then there are the optionals

I would go with Typhoid as well

Flu - its mandatory where I work for travellers but they are CYA

Jap E - not unless you are in rural area's in proximity to pigs in the Jap E season

Rabies - it buys you time but if bitten you still require shots anyway

The meningococcal jab might be an idea as its not jusat meningitis it protects against - I know someone who dives a lot and gets ear infections - this has cleared up a lot.

Malaria prohylaxis - not unless you are going to border area's or the interior or Koh Chang at night.

Dengue is most likely mosquito borne disease and this is from day time mozzies - it is quite widspread and is even in Bangkok suburbs. - No vaccine (in trials currently) or prophylaxis - repellant and cover up is all you have

[Phil Conners]

Hepatitis A, B and Typhoid shots?

I hear people recommending those from time to time but I wonder how many of those of us who live here ever had those?

I don't know any...

[BambinA]

Foot and Mouth disease..

oops thats for sick buffalo

[Prakanong2005]

Latest research on Hep A and B is that they are for life so why not cover your arse and get them?

Given the food standards in Thai kitchens the Hep A might be a good idea ;-))

Typhoid is for 2 or 3 years and must admit I have not bothered since my first ones years ago.

[backflip]

I agree with lomotopo: hep A, hep B, and thyphoid. I too would add flu, and Pneumovax (a lifetime vaccination for staph, strep, and a few dozen strains of related bacteria. Wait until contracting maleria to take the medication.

[Sheryl]

Generally agree with the other posters excepot that I would really stress rabies as a MUST.

Hep A & B also very important and in fact, you should get at least Hep A even if you aren't trvaelling abroad, it can be gotten almost anywhere in the world and I can tell you from bitter experience (pre the development of the vaccine), you don't want it.

Typhoid OK but it is not a very effective vaccine.

Japanese B worth considering if you are going to be in rural areas. The vaccien is highly effective and the consequesnces of the disease are very serious (brain damage/death). However if tou are only gouing to be on the tourist circuit Bangkok & beaches, risk is low.

Definitely no one malaria no matter what any docs back hoem may tell you. You're not going to be exposed to it ubnless you overnight in remote the jungle and even then, the malaria here is resistant to the drugs used for prophylaxis (and those drugs can have some nasty side effects).

[leisurely]

Both heps and I would suggest making sure your tetanus is up to date and getting a polio booster.

[francois]

hi'

my 2cts in here ...

vaccin : hep A and B recommended, you need to know that it's a triple injection, once, another one and 3 month later the last one, and you'll be fine for 10 years!

typhoid; useless

and about malaria ; unless you go trekking in south jungle is useless and even more could make some damage to your liver if it's not as strong as should be.

anyway, prefer fanzidar to any others. it's a pill every week or so, others are daily and you will be in a very hot country sweating your water out, then you need to drink twice if you use these" so called" anti-malaria ...

one last thing, most of the infected mosquitoes donn't care about many protection including antimalaria ones, if the strain is different to what we know, you'll get it anyway ...

don't get me wrong!

protection isn't useless, but check the health of your liver first and protect it,

it's more likely that you can catch an hepatitis A or even B than malaria!

francois

ps:years without, never any problem! never been trekking in the jungle though ..

Edited February 12, 2006 by francois

[Prakanong2005]

Francois

The Hep A and B vaccine called Twinrix is at day 0 - month 1 and month 3 giving you a high level of protection after three months and not 6 - if you have not had the single A you might as well get the dual.

As for 10 years protection then that is out of date - its now thought to last for life due to a "Remembering" process in the body - I am not a scientist so can not explain this well but it was told to me directly by someone in charge of worldwide studies into exactly this.

Nevertheless the studies into the vaccines continue to carry on proving that6 it is now for life and the ones i know run with yearly resuults till at least 2017 that i know directly of.

Malaria - the vaccine works and has recently been shown effective for up to 18 months -when will it be commercialy available and marketed - at a guess 2010-2012

Dengue fever vaccine in phase 2 - if all goes well maybe 3 years after Malaria

Edited February 12, 2006 by Prakanong2005

[Prakanong2005]

Hep B and A from WHO site - of course they can not state it is for life but it is beleived to be so by professionals in the area speccialising this and the studies are ongoing as I said

"Studies have shown that infants, children and adults who have responded to a three-dose hepatitis B immunization series are protected from hepatitis B for at least 15 years even if they lose detectable antibodies over time. Long-term protection relies on the immunological memory, which allows a protective anamnestic antibody response after exposure to HBV."

"Although one dose of vaccine provides at least short-term protection, the manufacturers currently recommend two doses to ensure long-term protection. In studies evaluating the duration of protection of two or more doses of hepatitis A vaccine, 99%–100% of vaccinated individuals had levels of antibody indicative of protection five to eight years after vaccination. Kinetic models of antibody decay indicate that the duration of protection is likely to be at least 20 years, and possibly lifelong. Post-marketing surveillance studies are needed to monitor vaccine-induced long-term protection"

[drbones666]

I've lived in K.L. for 10 years now and haven't had any of that crap for 26 years and I'm still alive.

[Sheryl]

I've lived in K.L. for 10 years now and haven't had any of that crap for 26 years and I'm still alive.

So far....

And presumably you haven't had the misfortune of suffering through hepatitis (yet) nor the very painful and potentially dangerous series of shots needed to avert rabies if bitten by a stray dog in the absence of prior immunization (just a simple booster if you've had the rabies vaccine versus 3 weeks of painful jabs)

Personally, I had hepatitis A in 1980 when there was no vaccine available and believe me, it was awful. I've seen expatriates die of rabies, and seen many more go through the painful and sometimes dangerous (high incidence of side effects) series of shots, back before the human diploid rabies vaccine came out. And a few careless ones go through it even now because they either didn't know or didn't bother to get the shots.

The development of these vaccines is a real gift and it is foolish not to take advantage of them. But suit yourself!

[drbones666]

Even vacinated people come down with the diseases they are vacinated for. Considering a lot of the crud they put in those shots and the deformities I've seen them cause in children, I'll pass.

Sorry, I guess the brainwashing just didn't work on me.

[lomatopo]

Even vacinated people come down with the diseases they are vacinated for. Considering a lot of the crud they put in those shots and the deformities I've seen them cause in children, I'll pass.

Sorry, I guess the brainwashing just didn't work on me.

If you honestly believe that vaccines are not helpful, that they do not save millions of childrens' lives each year, then I'd say that the brainwashing did in fact work on you.

[Prakanong2005]

"If you honestly believe that vaccines are not helpful, that they do not save millions of childrens' lives each year, then I'd say that the brainwashing did in fact work on you."

LOL

I would like him to show the evidence of the mass deformity's caused by vaccines as well.

The old chestnut about I have not caught anything in XX years is always from someone without the intellect to understand concepts like community immunity through vaccination programmes.