We are traveling to Thailand (Bangkok) and Chiang Mai and Bali and will be staying in upscale hotels and hopefully eating in upscale restaurants. Is is necessary to get the Hep A and Thyroid shots?

nancy---best if you consult a travel clinic at a local teaching hospital and/or check the website for the CDC..or at least your personal doctor if the others do not prove helpful

we update all our shots before each trip....we have had both hep a and b for our asia trips and updated our thyfoid shots...

read up about immunizatons: www.cdc.gov

Is it necessary? Well, you won't be refused entry if you don't have them. Is it wise? absolutely! You should probably have the Hep A vaccine just to stay at home.

Both Hep A and Typhoid are food and water-bourne illnesses. You don't have control over the handwashing practices of the people preparing your food. Also note that there are multi-antiobiotic resistant strains of typhoid in SE Asia. Once you have your Hep A series, you are immune for at least 10 years - perhaps for life. The typhoid shot is good for 2 years, the oral vaccine is good for 5.

I've personally never gotten any shots for Southeast Asia and have been traveling there almost annually since the 90s. I've been to the places you've listed and vacation in Thailand regularly. But, you'll need to talk to your doctor about that one. No shots are required to get into the places you've listed unless possibly you're coming from an infected country. It's not like Ghana, for example, where I had to have a yellow fever shot to be admitted into the country. Happy Travels!

I live in Hong Kong and also don't take any meds or extra precautions. But, you can get Hepatitus in the US from shellfish and other sources, so you should have that shot anyway, and this trip is a good excuse to get it.

You should also update your tetnus.

Thyphoid is up to you, it is very unlikely that you would get it if you are careful about food and water which you should be in any event. However it does not hurt to have it.