Vaccines for Tanzania Safari Trip?
 

What vaccines will I be required to take for going on a Tanzania Safari from the US? Will it matter if we land in Nairobi from the US and then go from NBO to Arusha and onwards.

There are many many threads on this board regarding inoculations and malaria meds on this board.

You can do a search on this board for a wealth of information.

However, the www.cdc.gov/travel site will provide lots of recommendations all of which you should discuss with your personal physician or a tropical diseases specialist. Based on your personal health history you should be able to arrive.

Generally, for travel anywhere, even if staying at home adults should be current on inocs they haven't had since childhood - such as Hep A, Tetanus, Polio Booster - other information can be found on the cdc site.

No difference where you land, you're traveling to a foreign country - could just as easily be France or Mexico - or just staying at home. These diseases are gotton in your own backyard. Keep yourself healthy regardless where you are.

Sandi,
The main qs here is whether YF is required or not. Is the YF requirement any different if we land in NBO and then go to Arusha or is it the same if we were to land directly into JRO.

For visitors from western countries, the US and most European, Yellow Fever inoculation is no longer a requirement in Kenya or Tanzania.

As long as when leaving these two countries you are returning to the US, you'll be fine. If, you would be going onto some other countries, the YF might be required having earlier been in Kenya and/or Tanzania at minimum 60-days, or 6-weeks or 6-months... can be different depending on the country.

So, easy - if US/Kenya/Tanzania/US - no Yellow Fever required.

Sandi,
What if the itenerary is USA - NBO - TANZANIA - LONDON (couple days) - USA. Will London require it?

I'm not Sandi, but London will not require Yellow Fever.

By the way, we got it anyway, even though it's not strictly required. We were also going to Zanzibar and I had read you needed it. My insurance covered the whole deal, so I went ahead and got everything (and I mean everything :) ). I do understand, however, that that approach doesn't work for everyone.

Last night (ouch) Jim and I went to the Travel Clinic for our shots (ouch) and the doctor there told us yellow fever innoc. was REQUIRED for Tanzania. Surprised, I said I had just read on their web site, on the visa application that it wasn't - but the doc said it was indeed required. Never argue with a doctor that has 4 needles in her hand, so we got it.... (ouch on the arm and OUCH OUCH in the pocket book - that little escapade last night cost us 500.00 Cdn$ and we havn't even finished yet as we still need to get the malaria prescriptions. It was a no brainer when she asked me if we wanted the cheaper 5.00 pp/week malaria meds or the more expensive 5.00 pp/day malarone!
But anyhow, she said yellow fever was necessary for Tanzania.

Lynda,
I've got about 35 or so malerone pills that I didn't use. Let me know if interested.
Sherry

Hi Sherry-
Thanks! - Can you email at [email protected]?
And PS on the other thread - the longer the better where trip reports are concerned is my vote too!

From what I've learned on this board, they usually don't check medications, yellow fever certificates, etc. But, when we went to Africa last summer, we were told that if they did check medications, you would need to be able to show the prescription for the medication. We were also told that if going to Kenya OR Tanzania, we didn't need the yellow fever certificate, but if crossing from either country into the other, it was required. I know that no one on this board has ever had them checked, but if I didn't have the scripts or the certificate, I KNOW I would be checked! :)

Well this thread is timely! Just returned this very morning from the doctor's office who is supposed to be the specialist for "overseas vaccinations" (we live in The Bahamas) only to find out they do not stock anything on island other than the regular booster shots and hepatitis A. Now we have to find out where to order the shots from, and worry about having them shipped over in time (we still have over 100 days, but I'm already dreaming of Africa, and I've never been! But every detail in terms of getting ready to go - yes I've started packing-is now becoming a major priority.)

After months and months of researching the "right" camera to bring (I wouldn't even classify myself as an amateur) I decided to get the Panasonic 30 something or other and spent a whole Saturday going from store to store only to find out it is not in Nassau. Now I can't even get my shots here either!

Sorry, just had to vent.

I will be in New York next month visiting my Mom (I'm a transplant) so hopefully we can at least find a camera shop there (any suggestions? - Manhattan midtown or west side??)

Hi LyndaS,

Was that $500. for each of you? And was that just for the Yellow Fever innoculations? Our doctor here in Winnipeg has also recommended the YF vaccine. He has also recommended one against meningitis. Did you get that too?

In NY, go to B & H Camera downtown. They're honest and very good. Sorry, don't have the address. You can look them up easily though.

As for shots, why not get them in NY while you're there?

Thanks martyny for the name of a camera store! Excellent idea for the shots too!

BahamaBreeze,

You're welcome...but I'm martync, not ny. many years ago I was ny however. now i just visit.

Carolines(is it Caroline?)
Here's the rundown on the shots (ouch):
We both had Yellow Fever at 80.00 each - lasts 10 years
We both had Typhoid Injectable at 40.00 each - lasts 2 years
We both had meningococcal at 100.00 each (can't even say that word, but it was costly...)lasts 3 yrs
I had Polio only at 40.00 - lasts a lifetime
Jim had Tetanus Diptheria Polio at 40.00 - lasts 10 years (my tetanus was still current)
We were both charged a 'consultation' fee of 30.00 each.
Total was 250.00 each. (ouch)
Luckily, they have now discovered that the Havrix 10 yr Hep A is now a LIFETIME. We both got those in 1995 before going to the Far East, so we didn't need those.
Optional was Dukoral, at 80.00 each, that is a new drinkable liquid that you take once before going and it helps prevent diarrhea. She said we could 'think' about it!
Then, she gave us a prescription for Ciprofloxin (no idea how much yet) and Doxycycline for malaria which will be about 20.00 for each of us.

Yes, it is "Caroline" but the name had already been taken by someone else on the site!!!

Thank-you for the info! It's nice to see the Yellow fever is good for ten years, though pricey. Guess that means we have no choice but to make multiple trips to Africa, to make it all worthwhile!

Lynda -

Very interesting (Leely that's for you). The doctor said yes on YF which is not required for either Kenya or Tanzania, if coming from a Western country - yet they wrote a script for doxy (an antibiotic) rather than a malaria specific med - Malarone or Lariam.

Is there any reason either of you can't/shouldn't take Malarone? Granted both of these are more expensive than doxy, but doxy has to be taken for 30-days after returning home; many become sun sensitive and have to use SPF whenever outdoors; women are prone to yeast infections.

It's always a good idea to have a script for CIPRO when traveling, anywhere, but this is for bacterial runs (how when out in the wilderness anyone can determine when the runs is what - beats me). However, there's no harm if taken and you're not sure what type.

Again, very interesting!


BahamaBreeze -

I'd check specifically, if traveling from the Bahamas where you are living (though a Western country) if the requirements for YF just might be different - even if traveling on a US passport.

Sandi-
Yes, that is very interesting! Nope, no problems on the Malarone that either of us know about, the doc gave us a choice, said one was as good as the other, only the price and the convenience of the time taking it to consider. We went for the doxy when she told us the difference in price between the two - she said doxy would be 5.00/wk pp (would work out to about 80.00 for both of us), while the malarone would be 5.00/day/person (would work out to 240.00 for both). Our health insurance covers zippo on any of this, so since we'd already racked up the 500.00 on the shots we both said 'doxy'. Is it any less effective do you think? No problem on the sun sensitivity, I am a fair-skinned blonde, and burn when thinking about the sun, so I put SPF 30 on every day on vacation. Slather it on, literally. And, I always thought I was too old for yeast infections! ;)
Caroline, I agree, we'll have to go back before 10 years is up.....

You're right sandi! Didn't even think about that! I went on the CDC site to see what they suggest and had not considered getting the yellow fever, but now that you raised the point, that we will actually be coming back here and the Bahamian officials may require it, we may have to just go ahead and get that one anyway! Thanks so much for pointing that out to me!