I'm going to Bali in December for the first time for a vacation. I heard that I need to get the Hepatist A shot and Typhoid pills (or shot) before I go. Is that right? How necessary is it? A few friends I spoke with that have gone were never advised to do this. Is this a new thing or are people becoming overly cautious?

These shots are expensive and I've heard the Typhoid shot/pills can have some miserable side effects. I'd like to be safe rather than sorry but also don't want to be putting things in my body that I don't need to.

Any and all advice is very much appreciated!!!

We had no side effects from the typhoid pills which give you five years of protection vs the shot which gives two years.
We got he Hep A floowed by a booster years ago for lifetime coverage. Both of these are wise to have when you travel.

It's good to have a peace of mind. No side-effects.
I had all the above +hep B and were all covered by my insurance( empire blue PPO). I had called a travel clinic and was told I had to pay up front so I went to my family doctor instead. I printed the reco from the CDC website to show her, she did warn me no guarantee the insurance will cover. At the end I didn't have to pay. Good luck.

Hep A and typhoid are the bare minimum and I would not say that this is overly cautious. Hep A (initial shot + booster) lasts for about 20 year approx (not lifetime). Best to check with a physician specialising in travel medicine for up to date recommendations for vaccinations, malaria prophylactics etc. as recommendations do change from time to time.
Typhoid vacs used to cause mild fever, aching etc. but this is no longer the case for the vast majority of people.

Do you NEED to get, as in MUST get before you travel, or are they SUGGESTING you get. Two different ways of looking at this.

<<<Hep A (initial shot + booster) lasts for about 20 year approx (not lifetime).>>>


We got Hep A/B last year, and we were told it was lifetime protection.

We also had absolutely no side effects from the typhoid pills either.

http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destin...asia/bali.html

Correct medical info from istm.org here

Hep A yes Typhoid no unless eating street food dodgy areas.

Have fun!

You are wise to have the Hep A vaccine even if you are staing at home. The Hep A series is now considred to provide life-long protection.

Typhoid, like Hep A is a food and waterborne illness. You have no control over the sanitation of people handling your food. It is smart to have the typhoid vaccine for travel to tropical areas. The shot does give some people localized discomfort. I've never had any side effects from the pills which have the advantage of lasting 5 years.

These vaccines have always been recommended for travel to Bali. No oe will tell you you have to have them, but if you do your research ahead of time you'll find that both teh cdc and nhs recommend these vaccines.

<b>"Hep A and typhoid are the bare minimum and I would not say that this is overly cautious. "</b>
Absolutely! To that, we had Hep B and anti-malaria tablets.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

I travelled to Guatemala 5 years ago and made sure to get my shots for HEP A and Typhoid. Unfortunately what they dont tell you is that the shots only protect you from certain strains of the disease ( there are 100's). As I result my boyfriend and I contracted Typhoid even though we got the shots...which by the way hurt and leave your arm sore for a couple days. That cant be good for you. Later on my boyfriend got Hep A as well! even though he was vaccinated. We also stayed in Guatemala for close to a year. I think if your only going for a few weeks and your careful...ie washing your hands, produce etc you should be just fine without the shots. Good Luck and enjoy your trip.

The foreign disease specializst we go to recommendfed Dep. A&B, typhoid and malaria (if we we going hiking in parts ogf West Jave) to be ohn the save side, cWe also took flu and shingles a month prior these.

I got my Hep A shot to be on the safe side. While I don't believe it's required, it gave me peace of mind. I also had malaria tablets with me, as well.

Personally, I would rather be cautious. Get the shots and enjoy your trip!

Guys the OP took the trip in December 2011 and you're replying to an old thread.

A new, one-time only poster (Jen Powersvisch) created an account this month, finds this old thread out of nowhere and leaves a comment. Why? Who knows. Good catch Hanuman. I was almost going to leave a response.

I'm going to Bali in Nov., so even though it's an old thread it's still useful.

Yes it's useful joanw but there is no need to reply to an old thread and obviously people who need the information can search for it like you did.