Yellow fever shots
 

How long do they last? We had them in April 2000 and going to Kenya in March this year.Do we need new once? Is it true that antimalaria pills became very expensive?<BR>Anyone recently returned from safari? Your experience please.<BR>Thanks

Yellow fever: one shot lasts for 10 years.

I've taken the oral innoculation (4 capsules) for yellow fever, and the protection lasts about 5 years. As for antimalaria pills, there are several options: (1) doxycycline pills are cheap, but you have to take more of them and they have more side effects (2) Malarone is the newest pill on the market, it has the least side effects, but costs much more. My docotor said the price difference between the two is about $20 vs. $200.

I'm getting ready to go to Kenya myself and would suggest you talk to your local health dept and/or check the CDC web site. Per their recommendations, I am getting a Hep A shot (2 shot series needing 6 mo's between each), Yellow Fever (good for 10 yrs), Typhoid (2yrs.), Tetnus (if not had one in the last 10 yrs), & a polio shot (good for life). If you think you might be in contact w/ blood, etc. they recommend a Hep B shot as well. This is in addition to the malaria meds.

I have referred several friends, in and out of town to health departments for innoculations. I have a recommendation: let them know you need a travel consultation. Several of the health departments had a somewhat separate area for travel issues, and they can better serve you. I have had a couple of friends not mention traveling-they just asked for specific innoculations, and they got thrown in with all the runny noses etc. When they returned later and mentioned traveling, it was like a whole different operation, worked by appointment, different staff etc. By the way-get one of the little yellow booklets to keep track of your innoculations (the health department gave me mine). Carry it with you when needed and make photocopies whenever innoculations are updated.

Hi Garry: Re: Malaria Pills, according to the research I have done there are basically 3 types of Malaria meds you can be prescribed.<BR>Larium (Melfloquine) (potential serious side effects)Not too expensive<BR>Doxycycline: Some Side Efefcts Not too expensive <BR>Malarone: Which is the latest drug and has fewer side effects and is also better at treating drug-resistant strains of malaria. It is quite expensive as you take a pill per day for duration of exposure, + 2 days before entering malaria area and +7 days after leaving. The price for about a weeks trip to an infected area is $75.00- $100.00 dollars, obviously the longer you are gone the more pricy. <BR>We opted for Malarone despite the price since we really didn't want to take Larium or Doxycycline which causes nausia... but I am sure a travel doctor will have the best advice. <BR>Good Luck.

You don't need a yellow fever jab for Kenya, you will though if you are crossing over into Tanzania.<BR>The jab lasts 10 years.<BR>The cost of antimalarial pills is irrelevant, you must take them, malaria is a killer. Just as important as the pills is a heavy duty repellant containing at least 50% deet. If you can prevent the mosquito from landing on you it can't bite you.

Just returned from Kenya and S.A.<BR><BR>Had Hep. A (2 shots, good for 10 years) in 2000 and diph./tetanus. For this trip we got yellow fever (10 years) and took anti-malarial pills. Our insurance covered our malaria pills, so we only had to pay the co-pay (in our case, $20). Call your county health dept. Just tell them where you're going and they'll tell you what you need and what else is "recommended." We opted out of polio and typhoid. We were staying in lodges and felt the exposure was minimal, if any. And with typhoid, you still have to watch what you partake of. Wouldn't have drunk local water anyway. Bottled water all the way.

CDC bulletin states yellow fever protection necessary in Kenya.