Marija

There's Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. You can get individual vaccines or the combined Twinrix which is preferred if you are getting both. The Hepatitis A vaccine needs about two weeks to percolate, the Hepatitis B vaccine needs more time, with a significant increase in effectiveness after later doses. The CDC has approved an accelerated course for the combo vaccine for travelers but I don't think you can get that with three weeks to go. You should be able to get the Hep A vaccine and have it working before you go.

NeoPatrick

"I fear you were poorly informed by the medical center about when to get your shots."

For sure! And no offense intended but I'm kind of surprised when I asked here, no one said something like " You'd better get on it. You need to get hepatitis vaccines in advance." This is one of those things that I guess you have to know the answer before you ask the question. My intent both here and to the medical center was to get answers, but no one mentioned that the vaccines take a while to "get". If I had known how long it takes to get the vaccinations I need and what they are, then I guess I wouldn't have been asking.

The reception on the phone at the medical center said, "oh you mean you want the hepatitis vaccines? Well. . . " and then told me about the waiting period. She's the same one who before told me to come in two weeks in advance of departure to find out what I need and get them. Duh!

Kathie

Neo, I admit it never occured to me to mention that you need a series for Hepatitis, as I tend to assume (incorrectly) that people know that. I do always give the cdc website as a reference, so you could have read about the various immunizations, but it if never occured to you that some immunizations are a series or that it takes some time (up to 10 days or so) to develop immunity, you might not have noted that when you read about the immunizations.

thursdaysd

Reading the guide books would have told you, also - at least my current Lonely Planets all mention six months ahead of time for Hep B, or an accelerated series for travelers.

Glad you posted, though - reminded me to email the travel clinic I use to check whether I need boosters or anti-malarials for my Sept trip.

NeoPatrick

Again, not to beat a dead horse, but nearly anything anyone needs to know can be found in a guide book. I suppose if I had read in detail all the guidebooks about immunizations, there really would be no need to post here at all, would there. In fact the same thing could be said about any post here. You can find all the information asked here in guidebooks, but some treat this site as a "shortcut" to information. I admit that I myself often assume that people already know things they don't know.

I have never had or considered a hepatitis vaccine, so I really had no reason to think it would require a period of months.

But as I said earlier, I'm really most put out with the medical center which as I said in one of my original posts may not be as well informed as they are in bigger cities. But as you can tell from this thread it was over a month ago I started called them to ask and they specifically told me to come in two weeks before travel. If I had known better, I would have gone then when I still had over 7 weeks. But why can't one trust the medical center who is going to be "counseling" me to tell me the right time to come in?

thursdaysd

So you think this site is a substitute for guidebooks? Your choice, but I've found it works best as a supplement.

NeoPatrick

That's what I'd call twisting my words. What I'm suggesting is that if "the answer is in a guidebook" then that would be true of about 99% of all questions and posts here.

But yes, I WILL admit to relying on help here a little more than usual as I'm planning a two and a half month trip to 7 countries and I am up to my ears in other activities right now, and getting behind on the usual planning and reading.

Nutella

I'm going through the same "what jabs to get" dilemma for my India trip.

Three years ago in preparation for China, I googled the few health clinics in my city and called them, one wanted to immunize me for everything including diseases that haven't even been discovered yet. I ended up at a different clinic where they refused to give me any advice - I had to tell them what I wanted. I ended up getting Hep A, B and Typhoid immunizations. I did decide to alter my planned itinerary rather than deal with anti malarials. I stayed healthy in China, even after eating street food and occasionally forgetting not to brush my teeth with the tap water.

I did forget that I was supposed to get a follow-up Hepatitis shot when I returned. Now I'm thinking that means I have to start from square one again for my next trip?...

Good luck NeoP. I know everyone's health situation is different, but these threads are very helpful.

NeoPatrick

Well, I got back home yesterday so went to the travel clinic. The doctor was very good with my intinerary.
I did Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and a tetanus/diptheria booster.
Total cost including the consultation -- $310.

I also got a prescription for Malaron (?) anti malaria pills -- 30 of them for $197 -- ouch. And some Doxycycline (?) antibiotic.

Kathie

Neo, what is the doxy for? For travel med, it's typically used only for malaria prophylaxis and you have malarone for that.

thursdaysd

"30 of them for $197" - ouch! Time for a new insurance plan - mine will give me 90 for $50.

NeoPatrick

Insurance plan? What's that? Mine costs $795 a month, has NO drug coverage, and has a $10,000 deductible. If you can find ANY major medical plan that will cover me at 63 being a diabetic, let me know -- so far I think I've checked about 8,794 different companies. LOL

Kathie, I'm not sure what you're asking? I googled Doxycycline just now and it describes it the same way as Cipro and other antibiotics. It does say "also used to treat malaria", but is for all kinds of bacterial infections, etc. The doctor wanted that instead of Cipro or something else I forget which can react with my diabetic meds, while the Doxy should not. At least that's the way I understood it. The best part was that prescription was less than $6.

From Wikpedia (other sites say pretty much the same):

"Doxycycline (INN) (pronounced /ˌdɒksɪˈsaɪkliːn/) is a member of the tetracycline antibiotics group and is commonly used to treat a variety of infections. Doxycycline is a semi-synthetic tetracycline invented and clinically developed in the early 1960s by Pfizer Inc. and marketed under the brand name Vibramycin. Vibramycin received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1967, becoming Pfizer's first once-a-day broad-spectrum antibiotic."

thursdaysd

Double ouch! I'm lucky enough to still have retiree medical coverage from my former employer. It was supposed to be free, and of course it isn't, but with premiums like that I'd still be working!

Kathie

Patrick, for someone like you, prescribing is a matter of compromise given your other meds. I know very well what doxy is, and, as I mentioned, it's used as an antimalarial in SE Asia. But it is not very effective for GI problems. Many of the bacteria in this part of the world have resistance to doxy. Still, it's better than nothing. Cipro is used for GI problems in much of the world, but it is not effective in Thailand and Nepal. For Thailand, the two antibiotics recommended for GI problems are azithromycin and levoquin. Levoquin is likely to interact with your other meds if Cipro does. Ask your pharmacist if azithromycin would interact with your other medications. Azithromycin is available over the counter in Thailand and might be something you could use if the doxy didn't work for you. Also, remember that Thailand has excellent and affordable medical care if you do get sick.

BTW, since you don't have prescription drug coverage, Costco is generally acknowledged to be the least expensive place to fill prescriptions in the US.

Marija

And you don't have to be a Costco member to fill prescriptions at the pharmacy!

NeoPatrick

Thanks for the info, Kathie. And yes -- I get ALL my meds at Costco, including those Malaron. I'm even on their "special" plan for lower rates since I have no coverage.

The good news is that a three month supply of my two diabetic meds plus my allopurinol -- 450 pills in all -- costs me about $30! Thank goodness those are all cheapies, so I shouldn't complain about the expensive anti-Malaria drugs.