My family doctor referred me to a travel clinic for my vaccines for Egypt, however when I called the clinic they said I would only need a Hep A shot. Does this sound right to you? I thought I had read a Typhoid shot is needed. Please let me know if you have any information to share regarding the vaccines needed for travel to Egypt (going to Cairo and a Nile cruise).

Thanks!

To my knowlege you do not need any vacinations unless you are going off the beaten path. I am traveling solo in January with Abercrombie & Kent for 12 days on a 5 day cruise, Luxor, Aswan, Cairo, Dendera and other regulars cities and have no intention of getting any vacinations.

When we went 2 years ago there were no additional immunizations recommended other than checking to make sure usual ones were up to date. Standard immunization recommendations for US these days include Hepatitis A and B.

You did not ask, but of greater health concern when traveling to Egypt will be contracting some sort of gastrointestinal illness while there. Read all the usual suggestions to avoid, and then be very careful. We were on a tour of 30 people and many experienced at least mild GI symptoms. Those who did not (including our family of 4) were ridiculously careful about what we ate or drank. In addition to the usual precautions about water, fruits, veggies, we were also careful to avoid dairy and juices that might be reconstituted with local water. We chose to be this careful since we did not want to miss anything and realized that this trip was not for the food but the sights.

I might also bring a small arsenal of medications you might need - cough/cold stuff, tylenol/motrin, etc.

Have a good trip.

My wife and I are going to Egypt (Cairo and Nile trip) at the end of November, and we got Hep A and tetanus/diptheria immunizations last weekend and will start taking typhoid pills next week. We checked with the Washington, D.C. health department and these were recommended. The doctor we went to said that tetanus is a good idea when traveling outside the US/Western Europe, and diptheria and typhoid are recommended by CDC. However, I think the chances of getting any of these diseases in Cairo or on a Nile river boat are probably low. Incidentally, he added that the tetanus injections given at most U.S. hospital emergency rooms for cuts don't include diptheria. Hep A immunization should be 4 weeks before travel.

For general travel anywhere, we've had tetanus, Hep A (both good for 10-yrs), Polio booster (won't need another before I die) - but do check the CDC website and make your own decision. Most people get turned off the the expense of innoculations - but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

Otherwise, you should watch certain food intake as mentioned above. We, however, are quite adventurous and ate everything offered at our hotels and on cruise boat - including juices (served on Egypt Air flights and sold right here in USA), ice in drinks (boats have purification systems for ice) - though use bottled water for brushing teeth and everything else.

Generally it is recommended not to eat anything that is a "water" food - lettuce (never saw any), watermelon (we ate), cucumbers (we ate).

You know your system, so watch for your own needs.