meningacoccal needed??
 

I went to the Doctor's yesterday to get my scripts for vaccines for our upcoming trip to Africa in October.
We will be travelling to Johannesburg, Kenya and onto Victoria Falls.
I have been given a script for Hep A/Typhoid, Tetnus/Diptheria, Yellow Fever and also the Malaria tablets.
A couple of months ago I was told to also get covered for Meningococcal....but I havent received a script for this. Is this a necessary, recommended vaccine to have?
Thank you as always :)

I am going to Kenya & Tanzania and my doc highly recommended the meningacoccal vaccination. We got it...Also had to get typhoid, yellow fever, tetanus and hep A...Malaria pills of course. Makes you wonder what the heck we are getting ourselves into!

Where in these countries are you going that you need to protect yourself against things like typhoid and yellow fever? If you are staying in reserves, these are not needed, nor is the menningoccocal vaccine. Protect against malaria and tetanus. Tourist locations do not require the rest, imho and non medical opinion.

We will be doing a group, vehicle based safari, staying in lodges the whole time. I have just checked the travelvax website that says meningococcal is only needed between December - April, so I think we will pass on that. I already bought the typhoid so have no choice on that one now unfortunately.

She may need Yellow Fever to return back into South Africa.

IMO, everyone should have Hep A. After all, you can get it from a food worker here in the US.

As for the others, it's a personal decision between you and your doctor.

Is your doctor a regular doc or a travel doc? The reason I ask is that I believe that the CDC actually has different recommendations for the Meningococcal vaccine, depending on the season of travel, but a regular doc might not know those subtleties.

Last year, I wasn't able to get the meningococcal vaccine due to a shortage. My travel doc said that she would have given it to me had it been available, but she also said that due to the season I was travelling it wasn't truly necessary, and to not worry about it.
Only your doc can help you sort out what is best for you.