Do you need to get any shots for regular tour group travel in China? Any other health hints?

Try this site:<BR>http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

Presuming you have no health problems, you should get a Heppatitis B innoculation - phase one before you leave and don't forget phase B six months later. And, NEVER NEVER NEVER drink the tap water (even if they say it has been boiled first), stick with bottled water (and make sure the cap has not been removed first and the bottle filled with water from who knows where). For peace of mind, ask your doctor for an intestional anti-bacterial such as Cipro because you really don't know what goes on in the kitchen. We recently returned from the hither lands of China and throughly enjoyed the whole trip and had no health problems.

yes hep b...but more important is hep a (they can both be given at same time and FOLLOW THEM BOTH UP 6 MONTHS LATER) Hep a is for "food born" so a definate. HINT: Call your local health dept..both shots can be given at about $25 each vs. the standard $75-110 the drs office charges (and no, your insurance doesn't usually cover it because it is billed to them as "vacation innoculations"..trust me, several people in our group faced large med bill from these otherwise cheap shots!!<BR><BR>Have a great time...we will be there this summer as well

You should check with a travel clinic at a major hospital. Before our first trip, we had polio vaccine updated , typhoid ( i think - it was a while ago) hep A and B, and I am not sure if there was something else. If you don't have a hospital travel clinic, the CDC site should be good. Never trust your health to advice from a site like this. Everyone means well, but are not necessarily as knowledgeable as they should be.

It depends on which part of China you are travelling to--- Hep A+B, Polio and Typhoid seem to be the standard. But if you are going to Southwest China, you may need other shots or tablets (eg malaria).

To add:<BR><BR>I would certainly take the malaria medication. I've known two people with malaria and it is a long, long fight to get over. I wasn't willing to risk it.<BR><BR>My local health department did not have some of the immunizations. They said it was to expensive to keep when they didn't have much call for it. I had to go to a larger city. One of the hepatitis shots is done in a series that you start several months BEFORE you leave.

Wow, I'm feeling like I'm the only person here that's never even contemplated getting shots for travel to China?

Well, y'know, Patty, some people leave Las Vegas as winners ...

Ha ha Les...<BR><BR>I don't think the odds are quite that dismal. <BR>

Just out of curiousity, I went to the cdc website and it recommends much of the same vaccines for travelers to Europe or the Caribbean. I wonder how many travelers to these regions have contemplated getting vaccines? I'm not against vaccinations, just wondering how much of the decision is based on perceived vs. actual risk, i.e. the perceived "third-worldness" of your travel destination.

Patty,<BR>I don't know what you consider dismal odds. At least in Vegas, you're not betting your life.

Les,<BR><BR>Everyone makes life betting decisions on a daily basis. If you really want to look at odds, getting into a Xian taxi is probably statiscally more life threatening than your chances of acquiring a communicable disease. Just trying to keep it all in perspective.

And what's with the smart**s attitude, anyway?

Patty,<BR>I'm sorry you took my attitude to be "smart**s"; re-reading my posts, it doesn't seem that way to me.<BR>In order to get back on topic, and prevent this from becoming our private chat room, I'll refrain from additional posting on this thread.

went to china last summer. just got Hep A (that's all our health clinic told us to do) and I was fine.<BR>

Just got off the phone with the health department. For my upcoming short trip, 3 weeks, they recommend hep A, typhoid, and tetanus. <BR><BR>Getting "shot" next Thursday. All three will cost $81.00 total. Another $20.00 hep A booster in six months and I'm good for twenty years.<BR><BR>

ttt

Just an update for inflation! At my health department here in NYS: $45 for Hepatitis A, $45 more for B (they don't have the combo) and $50 for visit to administer both. And then there are the boosters plus the boosters for whatever else needed!
Family doctor would charge more.
Whew!

We are planning a trip to Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xian in June of 2007. We had a trip planned two summers ago but couldn't go and were vaccinated for Hepatitis A, received Typhoid oral and got polio boosters. Tetanus shots I thought were good for 10 years, I'll have to check the dates of our last ones.
Do you all think we need additional vaccinations before travelling this summer?
What is the status on the bird flu nowadays?
How bad are the mosquitos in June?
Is the end of June blazing hot, or we're still ok until July/August?
Thanks!