Immunizations????
 

What do you regular visitors to Thailand do about immunizations or vaccinations? I don't think of Thailand as a third-world country by any means,so I had assumed none would be needed. Now I read in my guidebook that an immunization against typhoid and hepatitis A is recommended though not required. CDC is no help, it only gives recommendations for all of SE Asia.
We'll be in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Koh Lanta plus one night at Lisa Lodge, which is in or near a hilltribe village up north. So mostly city but a night or two of rural. Hurry! Only ten days before we leave!

most of us have the regular stuff including a polio update....typhoid, tetnus, hep A and we have had heb B as well....

you might need malaria prevention in chiang rai and the hill tribe place...

i suggest you speak with a travel doctor....we always go to one before asia trips to make sure we are up to date....any teaching hospitals near to you...they usually have a travel clinic...

and yes thailand is 3rd world, although in bkk you would never know it..

kathie will chime in here and her info is the best on med issues...

You should always contact a Traveller's Clinic several weeks prior to travelling out of the country..Nothing is required, but Hep A can be passed through food and water, so you are at risk almost anywhere you travel..Other's such as Tetenus, Diptheria and Polio are also a must for anywhere, and I do believe Typhoid as well for Thailand..Again, always check with a Clinic so you know for sure...

This is my ninth trip to BKK (I'm here now) and I've yet to take any shots. I have some strange allergies, plus I ended up in the hospital the ONE TIME I got a flu shot over 40 years ago. No thanks... no immunizations for me.
Carol

I've personally never taken any for Thailand. Happy Travels!

Thank you so much guenmai, I'm glad there is someone else out there besides members of our family who don't do the shots for Thailand!! The usual concensus on this forum is to get them. I really thought that maybe we were the oddballs here. But maybe not??

Carol

Do read the cdc website - it does give good information - before your trip to a travel med doctor. While no immunizations are required for entry into Thailand (with the exception of persons entering from Yellow Fever infected areas), there are a number of immunizations it is wise to ahve.

Even if you are staying at home, you should have your regular diptheria-tetanus booster every 10 years. Indeed, whether you have your boosters on time is considerd a quality of care measure by insurance companies in the US. You would also be wise to have at least the Hep A vaccine to stay at home. There are outbreaks of Hep A (a food and water bourne illness) even in the US and Western Europe. You don't have control over who handles your food, so it is wise to have this basic immunization. If you haven't had the Hep A vaccine, it's cost-effective to have the combined Hep A and B vaccines. Hep B is spread via blood and bodily fluids.

Polio has made a resurgence, having spread from India and from the Middle East to Indonesia. While there have not been any cases yet reported in Thailand, it would be wise to have a booster if needed. If you are of an age where you need a booster for Measles, Mumps, Rubella, then do get the booster. Many people forget that these so-called childhood diseases can be deadly to adults.

Typhoid is another food and water bourne illness. So this is another one that it is wise to have. There is antibiotic-resistant typhoid in SE Asia, one more reason to make sure you are protected.

As I don't know where Lisa Lodge is located, I can't tell you whether it is in a malarial risk area.

While a few people have medical issues that preclude them getting vaccines, most people are well-advised to protect themselves, their families and the public health by getting appropriate vaccines.

I'm one of the oddballs, then! :)

We had 3 trips to Thailand, 3 to Hong Kong, and 1 to Bali under our belts before vaccines even crossed our minds. Teaghan is "lightly vaccinated" for an American kid...she's only had polio, a partial series of DPT, Japanese encephalitis, Hep A, and measles (not mmr)...and the latter 3 were after she was 6 years old...when we all got Hep A and JE last year.

I think the consensus here is to err on the side of caution, you know? Kind of like the street food and ice consumption issues.

chicago199, It sounds like everyone has offered you go information. One more thing to consider is that some vaccinations (including Hep A and Typhoid take some time to become effective). You may still get some protection after a few days, but not the full amount. If you're going to get any shots, you need to do it right away or it'll be too late for this trip.

Good point LA...the Hep A series we had was 3 injections. The first, then 4 weeks later the second, then at least 4 weeks later but not more than 6 months later, the third.

just thought I would close this by telling everyone that our local Travel Clinic firmly agreed with the guidebook recommmendation to get a vaccine for typhoid and hepatitis A. Additional vaccines as recommended by kathie (hep b, malaria) were more optional and we decided against.

The immunizations mentioned are recommended for life here in the US of A.

We have a large group of people where I live who eschew immunizations of any kind. And, have the expected outbreaks of diseases. Most recently measles and whooping cough. The children suffer the most, of course.

Freedom to have superstitions is part of the First Amendment.

Definitely Hep A & B (Twinrix) whereever you travel these days - all it takes is one ice cube or lack of hygiene on the part of the waiter/es.My sister picked up hep A at one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris!

And, the 90 people who ate at the fast food restaurant in Pittsburgh

Yep, you can get that stuff anywhere! I caught some form of typhoid or typhoid related something or other in Cancun. The doctors were stumped because I had the vaccination two weeks before our trip (it's only like 80% effective), but it was "clouding" the tests they ran. Finally, a good round of Cipro knocked it out. Ick!!