Advice on travelling to India & SE Asia

[TillieTrotter]

Hi all. My teenage sons and I are off on our travels at the beginning of February and I'm slightly confused as to what and when we should start having our vaccinations. All and any advice would be very welcome. CHEERS

[El Pibe]

most of them it's at least a couple of weeks before you go.

Lots of info here http://www.nathnac.org/ds/c_pages/country_page_IN.htm

[TillieTrotter]

Thanks EP. I've looked online but I can't seem to find time scales for having them and my doctor's receptionist was completely flakey about it.

[El Pibe]

I went to India a few years back and got my just before I left at a medicentre.

THe nurse asked me when I was off, I said 'tommorow' and she said 'oh, well they won't offer you any immunity for about 2 weeks'.

I was only going for 2.

Doh!!

Can't remember which ones specifically mind.

[StraferJack]

been a few years since my trip but I rcall going to DMC and having to have the jabs several weeks in advance. Will double check with other half as she went for 3 months

[TillieTrotter]

Cheers SJ that'd be helpful. I'm worried that we'll miss out on something important if I leave it too late.

[Mathilda]

Yes definitely get them a few weeks before you go! NHS advice is to make an appt 8 weeks in advance. The GP should be able to do the standard ones for free, and there will be optional ones that you can either get a prescription for or get at a private travel clinic.

[StraferJack]

The jab itself doesn't hurt - but I recall it feeling pretty ropey for a couple of days afterwards too. Not debiitating or anything just bruised and tender

[david_carnell]

Yellow fever, if needed, is particularly unpleasant.

[TillieTrotter]

It looks like YF is on the cards for us :-(

[Townleygreen]

Mathilda's advice is spot on in my experience of that area.

[TillieTrotter]

Thanks y'all. I'm assuming the GP will have the up to date advice.

[Loz]

I've just come back from a few months in SE Asia and we used MASTA (http://www.masta-travel-health.com/). Basically, you register with them and the do an telephone consultation then email you a report showing the mandatory and recommended vaccinations. It costs something like ?20 for the consultation, but you get that back on your inoculation costs.

They're good at telling you which are available on the NHS, so you only have to pay for the ones you need to. Don't be afraid to say no to some of the recommended - I didn't bother with rabies or Japanese encephalitis as the risk seemed pretty low (and rabies wasn't full protection - you still needed to be treated if you got bitten).

After you get the report and decide what you want, they will book you into a clinic (mostly situated in Boots store, IIRC) and you pop in and they do them there.

In short, I thought they were pretty good.

[charliebubs]

I agree that MASTA are very good. I went on a work trip to KL in February and had been travelling in SE Asia in 2005. I took along my vaccination booklet from 2005 and they confirmed that I didn't need anything further. I thought they were very honest, as they could of suggested I get re-vaccinated.

I agree with the others above - get your jabs a few weeks before you go.

[Huggers]

I'm off to India on Friday! I had my jabs six weeks ago as recommended.

[TillieTrotter]

Which ones did you have Huggers?

[Huggers]

polio, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitus (A?), plus malaria tablets for malaria areas- I chose the ones you only take while you are in those areas and for a few days after but you have to pay for them.

[TillieTrotter]

Thanks for that. So it wasn't adviced to get a rabies jab?

[Huggers]

No. I understand you can get a rabies jab after you've been bitten by a dog.

[david_carnell]

The rabies jab isn't an innoculation it just gives you more time to get to a hospital. Especially useful if you're bitten in a remote area.

[DulwichFox]

Rabies

Prevention

A course of three injections of Rabipur will cover against Rabies and is recommended for travellers to high-risk areas who may be exposed to rabies because of their chosen travel activities and/or limited access to post-exposure medical care.

In the event of possible exposure to rabies, urgent medical attention should be sought, even in those who have received pre-exposure vaccines.

http://www.londontravelclinic.co.uk/vaccine-info/rabies.aspx

[Loz]

The explanation given to me was that, if you are bitten and you've not had the injections (3 of them), you'll get a treatment of five injections. If you have had the jabs, you only get three. Didn't seem a good use of a ?150 to me, since I would be mainly in urban areas. But, yes, it does buy you time to get to hospital.

[DaveR]

"I went on a work trip to KL...."

I'd be interested to know whether you were recommended to have any jabs before this trip. None should be needed unless you are in a high risk profession. I go to Malaysia every year and have never had any jabs specifically for those trips.