Innocualtions

[egeefay]

What innoculations do they normally suggest getting when traveling in Thailand.

I found this list from a Thai Red Cross Society website.

1. Tetanus 15 baht/injection (three times)

2. Hepatitis A 750 baht/injection (two times)

3. Hepatitis B 360 baht/injection (three times)

4. Meningitis 180 baht/injection (for three years)

5. Encephalitis 400 baht/injection (three times per 1-2 years)

6. Cholera 300 baht/pack

7. Polio 50 baht/three drops

8. Typhoid 310 baht/injection (for three years)

9. Gammaglobulin 400 baht/ 2 cc

Does this list seem to take care of most of the common ailments?

Once concern of mine is eating locally prepared food. In Thailand they do not always wash dishes using hot water, soap and clean rinsing water. A lot of the time they will just rinse a used bowl in a standing tub of water and serve it up to the next customer. And food preparers are not requried to wash their hands before serving food.

37 years ago, when I live in Thaland amoebic dysentery and viral dysentery were rampant.

I came down with a bad case of the former.

I understand that 37 years later, not much has changed. Travellers still have to be concerned about the food they eat in Thailand

The locals do not seemed concerned about food hygene Perhaps because many local people are immune to many gastro intestinal illnesses through natural infection

[Sheryl]

What innoculations do they normally suggest getting when traveling in Thailand.

I found this list from a Thai Red Cross Society website.

1. Tetanus 15 baht/injection (three times)

2. Hepatitis A 750 baht/injection (two times)

3. Hepatitis B 360 baht/injection (three times)

4. Meningitis 180 baht/injection (for three years)

5. Encephalitis 400 baht/injection (three times per 1-2 years)

6. Cholera 300 baht/pack

7. Polio 50 baht/three drops

8. Typhoid 310 baht/injection (for three years)

9. Gammaglobulin 400 baht/ 2 cc

Does this list seem to take care of most of the common ailments?

Once concern of mine is eating locally prepared food. In Thailand they do not always wash dishes using hot water, soap and clean rinsing water. A lot of the time they will just rinse a used bowl in a standing tub of water and serve it up to the next customer. And food preparers are not requried to wash their hands before serving food.

37 years ago, when I live in Thaland amoebic dysentery and viral dysentery were rampant.

I came down with a bad case of the former.

I understand that 37 years later, not much has changed. Travellers still have to be concerned about the food they eat in Thailand

The locals do not seemed concerned about food hygene Perhaps because many local people are immune to many gastro intestinal illnesses through natural infection

Dysentery is hardly rampant here these days and I'll think you'll find that a lot has changed esp in urban areas. That said, of course some care about what you eat is wise.

In terms of the vaccines:

Tetanus - no more need here than anywhere else, you've no doubt had the full series already.

Polio - no need (again, I assume you had afull innocuilation series as a child)

Hep A - yes, unless you've already had it.

Hep B - a must if you are likely to be having sex with locals or using IV drugs, if not still not a bad idea, they are not 100% sure it can't also be food borne.

Gammaglobulin - no, that was back in the old days befiore they had a Hep A vaccine.

Cholera - not necessary and anyway the vaccione is not very effective (understatement -- it's almost worthless)

Typhoid - up tp you but the vaccine is only 50% effective. Not a lot of risk in Thailand but be VERY careful if you go to Phnom Penh, it's typhoid city there.

Meningitis - not routinely recommended, only during outbreaks and among close contacts.

encephalitis -- I assume you mean Japanese B encephalitis. If you are going to be upcountry niot a bad idea. It's endemic in rural areas where pigs are raised (pigs are hte resevoir for the virus, which is transmitted by mosquitos).

But mssing from the list ios the one vaccine I recommend above all others to people coming tio Thainad -- RABIES!!!!! Get the human diploid rabies vaccine at all costs. There are a lot of rabid dogs here, plus al ot of other strays that altho not rabid may still bite you and run off, leaving with you with the choice of a series of painful injections (with more side effects than if you had gotten the original vaccine) or risking rabies which is 100% fatal.

In summary - Rabies & Hep A for all, Hep B for some (you know who you are!). In fact these recs would apply even if you were staying home.

[Nawtilus]

I suggest all of them, along with leprosy 19baht per injection with 17 required over 18 days, mad cow disease with 9 required over 4.5 days, Bird flu or you could just wing that one, menengicocal disease with 3 shots during the early spring, measles with 1 huge shot before breakfast and finally tonsilitis with a heavy sticky liquid before bed.

[Axel]

The locals do not seemed concerned about food hygene Perhaps because many local people are immune to many gastro intestinal illnesses through natural infection

Do yourself a favour, even after 37 years, STAY AWAY FROM THEM LOCALS, they might bite you and you get rabies or worse, the monkey decease.

If you must visit Thailand, stay in a local, but US-operated hotel, they provide you at check in with spray cans of anti-local-decease remedies.

[geoffphuket]

The locals do not seemed concerned about food hygene Perhaps because many local people are immune to many gastro intestinal illnesses through natural infection

Do yourself a favour, even after 37 years, STAY AWAY FROM THEM LOCALS, they might bite you and you get rabies or worse, the monkey decease.

If you must visit Thailand, stay in a local, but US-operated hotel, they provide you at check in with spray cans of anti-local-decease remedies.

NOTHING !!

A bottle of paracetamol might come in hand though

[backflip]

Pneumovax, valent 23.

[egeefay]

The locals do not seemed concerned about food hygene Perhaps because many local people are immune to many gastro intestinal illnesses through natural infection

Do yourself a favour, even after 37 years, STAY AWAY FROM THEM LOCALS, they might bite you and you get rabies or worse, the monkey decease.

If you must visit Thailand, stay in a local, but US-operated hotel, they provide you at check in with spray cans of anti-local-decease remedies.

I do stay away from street vendors and managed to get through a month in Thailand without difficulties. Very cautious about eating anyting raw or uncooked.

My Thai wife, however, made the mistake of sampling some street vendor food and ended up having make a visit to the hospital.

Up till then she had scoffed at me for being overly cautious.

I've forgotten a lot of things over the past 37 years...but getting amoebic dysentery wasn't one of them.

[raro]

I'm living here for nine years and eat quite often street food or in foodcourts. I had three times some sort of food poisoning and only one was from street food. Apply some common sense and you should be safe!

[leisurely]

If I can add my two bahts worth. We moved here from the middle east, neither my husband nor I were sick there but bloody hel_l the two daughters were . At any given time they were either undergoing treatment for or recovering from treatment for entamoeba histolitica - amoebic dysentry . Since coming here, they have both been in the pink . Nothing apart from the normal coughs colds and sneezes. I know it is not a weather thing - no one can convince me that the weather changing means more illness, I assume it is a matter of hygiene and cleanliness. Neither do anything more or less different to when we were in Muscat but as I said, both have been very very healthy.

[leisurely]

By the way, we were advised both in the UK and here, that oral polio boosters SHOULD be given every ten years to both adults and children The only drawback is that you don't get the sugar lump any more - it is straight on the tongue with the medicine and it is very bitter

[Sheryl]

The last known case of polio in Thailand was in 1997, it is close to being declared eradicated here. But no harm in a booster.

Backflip: why on earth pneumovax for Thiland? Incidence pneumococcal disease no greater here than anywhere else, and vaccione usually recommended only for the elderly/immune compromised???

Street vendor food IMO is often the safest because you can actually see how and when it was prepared which is more than can be said for restaurant food. Obviously, food that is sitting out uncovered on a street stall is a poor choice but food cooked to order in front of you should be pretty safe.

[raro]

By the way, we were advised both in the UK and here, that oral polio boosters SHOULD be given every ten years to both adults and children The only drawback is that you don't get the sugar lump any more - it is straight on the tongue with the medicine and it is very bitter

I had my Polio booster a year ago in the Pattaya International and it came WITH the sugar...

[alan2076]

Can anyone tell me where to get my Jabs done in Bangkok ?

An address woould be great.

I have had most done here in the uk but they charge so much money !!! Thailand seems the much cheaper option.

Thanks in Advance

[tracker]

you might also want to consider methyl-mercury... not to innoculate, but to stay away from! Most vaccines are prepared with a conservative. This exists of 50% methyl mercury.

It's now illegal in 6 US states because some parents grouped together who saw their childrens health degrade. They have a website. Google on it.

So what's more dangerous, a food-poisioning or get yourself innoculate with mercury and PAY for it...

The choice is yours

[Sulaphat]

Yellow fever.

[Sheryl]

Yellow fever.

Not endemic in Thailand.

[backflip]

"Most vaccines are prepared with a conservative. This exists of 50% methyl mercury."

That's not true. The preservative is ETHYL mercury, a completely different, and safe, substance.

[cathyy]

Hey, Mods!

This question is asked a lot in here. Sheryl and I are the nurses in here, and we agree on which shots/vaccinations/inoculations/jabs one should have; how about a sticky?

[udon]

None....... unless you are an American,..... get every jab available.

[Sulaphat]

Yellow fever.

Not endemic in Thailand.

Yes it is. It affects middle-aged western men. You can see cases of it along lower Sukhumvit Road every day.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Sulaphat

[cathyy]

Yellow fever.

Not endemic in Thailand.

Yes it is. It affects middle-aged western men. You can see cases of it along lower Sukhumvit Road every day.

[marshbags]

I would offer the advice that you visit your Dr. before going to Thailand.

Tell them where you are going and he will tell you what injections are recommended by the health authority.

I am from the U.K. and have the following injections and boosters as and when needed.

Hep. A, Polio, Tetanus/Dir, Typhoid.

These are administered free of charge by the practice nurse and they keep them onfile and i keep a record in a " Travel Health Record Card " with all the relevant back up information and due dates ect.

When i,m nearly due i contact the surgery and they make sure they have the booster in stock for when i arrange the appointment with the nurse.

If you have them out there you are not guaranteed how genuine they are so bear that in mind.

Some people out there recommend a rabbies injection programme.

Hope this is of use to anyone who may be interested.

marshbags

Edited August 13, 2006 by marshbags