michele_d

We had the Hep A/B, called TwinRix, series last November before we went to China. It is a series of three shots and even on the accelerated schedule it takes 5 weeks to complete. Also did the Typhoid and DPT but not the malaria as the side effects look way scarey.

Kathie

michele, there is no vaccine for malaria. If you are speaking of anti-malarial pills one takes, I can only assume that you read/heard about larium (which can have bad side effects) and not about the other options (malarone, doxycycline) which have fewer side effects. Still, if you are traveling in a high risk region, the side effects of anti-malarials are not nearly as scary as the impact of contracting malaria. Given that only small parts of CHina are malarial risk, I'm assuming your travel med doctor did not recommend that you take anti-malarials.

michele_d

Kathie,
You are right. I am speaking of the anti-malarial pills. The reason I choose not to take the pills, even though they were recommended for the small area of the Yangtze River we visited, was because of my predisposition to nightmares and night terrors. A side effect of the pills was vivid nightmares which could continue for years.

After consulting with the health dept, my doctor and my pharmacist they all recommended I not take the pills and I agreed. The thought of having increased nightmares was a terrifying thought. I had to weigh the pros and cons and for me it was the better choice I believe. It's hard to know what to do sometimes. Each person has to do the research and determine what is best for their situation.

Jaya

Malaria is only one of many mosquito borne illnesses, many of which have no prophylaxis. The most prudent thing to do in Asia is to do whatever is possible to avoid mosquito bites. You will still get an errant bite here and there, but most can be avoided by staying in hotels that don't have mosquitos in the rooms so you don't get bitten up while sleeping.

Certain types of mosquitos bite in the morning and other types bite in the evening. Daytime is usually the safest for not getting bitten. Loose, gauzy clothing makes it harder for them to bite through your clothing.

Bring repellant and use it generously.

Kathie

Michele, my point was that only one anti-malarial, larium, causes nightmare/night terrors. Neither malarone not doxy do. I'm not second-guessing your choice not to take anti-malarials for this trip (and Jaya's advice to use repellent is good), but I hope you (and others) know that not all anti-malarials have serious side effects.

michele_d

Thanks Kathie. Yes, Larium is what my doc prescribed for me. Good to know about the other ones though. It was December and snowing when we were in China and we were so covered up a mosquito would have a hard time finding any skin to bite anyways.

easytraveler

One of the ways to stay safe has nothing to do with vaccinations.

It's what you put in your mouth.

Think seriously about what you put in your mouth.

Brushing your teeth? Use bottled water.

Taking a shower? Don't open your mouth.

Ordering meals? never order raw salad or peeled fruit. Even fruit with skin on can be a problem. You handle the skin to peel the fruit, then pop the peeled fruit into your mouth with the same (contaminated) fingers.

That street food look or smell really tempting? Don't.

Drinking from a glass? Do you know where that glass was before it reached your table? This is why, even in the States now, some Asian restaurants serve water with a straw.

In other words, take a lot of precautions about what you put into your mouth.

The chances of you catching something via food or drink may be minimal, but again, why take the chance?

I'm going to tell this story again. I had a colleague with whom I travelled quite a bit in Asia. You think he would have known better, but, in Korea, where they like raw beef (sort of like carpaccio), he ate some at a banquet. Thereafter, he had severe intestinal problems for the rest of his life. Not even the medications in the US, when he came home, could help him.

So, please, be careful what you put into your mouth. Nothing raw, untreated, or uncooked.

Have a great trip! I hope i haven't scared you too much!

crellston

Or just stay at home - its much safer!!!

Iowa_Redhead

<<<crellston on Apr 10, 12 at 1:15pm
Or just stay at home - its much safer!!!>>>

Ick! Boo! Hiss!



China is safe, but do take reasonable precautions. easytraveler mentioned using bottled water to brush your teeth... I always tried to forget and have learned to put a wash cloth (or something) over the tap so that I stop before I just go for the water on autopilot.

Kathie

lol -the data on accidents in the home should be enough to make anyone want to go on vacation!

michele_d

The hotels we stayed in and cruise ship supplied bottled water daily. I kept these bottles on the bathroom counter so I would always see them and not accidentally forget.

kmkrnn

If you read the CDC they are recomending that adults have an up dated Polio shot. There is an outbreak in China. Not a bad idea in general, as alot of our childhood inoculations are past their sell by date.

TheTeaLady

My husband and I have traveled to China 4 times and never had any vaccinations and/or medical issues during or after a trip. Common sense is the biggest factor.

On an organized tour, you will be in mainly areas frequented by tourists.

Go and have fun!

HappyTrvlr

Our MD said these shots/pills are a good precaution to have in any event, no matter where you are in the world, due to possible food contamination.

fb

As a physician an frequent traveler, here is my 2 cents.
First, get whatever vaccines that you should have for your age anyway.
Next, get the vaccines advised by the CDC for the specific cities you are visiting. Most likely with a Tauk tour, there won't be any that you should not have had anyway. ALso, it's unlikely that they will recommend malaria meds and since they do have side effects, don't take them unnecessarily.
Only drink bottled water or other bottled drinks, drinks made with boiled water (coffee, tea) or alcoholic beverages.
As for food, Tauk will likely only take you to tried and true restaurants - if their clientele were getting sick all the time, they would not stay in business. So, if your guide says it is OK, trust him/her and have a good time enjoying local cuisine - that is one of the main reasons for traveling. However, when wandering around on your own, I'd follow the usual advice not to eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit.
The most common illness that I have seen on guided tours are colds and these sometimes lead to bronchitis or pneumonia as travelers' immune systems are stressed because of jet lag, sleep deprivation, etc. Colds are spread by touch - so wash hands, wash hands, use hand sanitizer, etc. If possible, don't touch the railings on busses, staircases, etc. - though do so if needed, as a fall and fracture in China may be a lot worse than a cold.
Above all, don't let your fears get in the way of your enjoyment.

ggreen

Great advice for you here, RockStone! Bottled water for everything is a must, as is (sadly) avoiding street food. And you just never know when or where you'll encounter a squat toilet - just think of it as the cultural difference it is.

You asked what else to bring, and I agree with what's been listed already. In addition to toilet paper, pepto tablets, immodium and hand sanitizer, I brought an asthma inhaler - I have very mild, exercise-induced asthma here, but I was concerned about the effect of living in Beijing's air pollution for a month.

As for hand sanitizer, I found a lavender-scented one at Whole Foods. I put the full-size bottle in my checked luggage and the tiny travel-size one in my carryon, with no problems going through airport security. I bought the lavender scent for its calming properties (not knowing if I'd need a little aromatherapy support in crowds!), but it also came in handy when I wanted relief from occasional pungent scents around me!

China is an amazing place to experience firsthand. As 'fb' said, "Above all, don't let your fears get in the way of your enjoyment." !!!

amyb

Re: eating fruit. I found it weird in our group, three people ate fruit off a street cart. A very well-traveled husband and wife ate it with absolutely no issue. A woman who was traveling out of the US for the first time became very, very ill for a few days. As we all ate together all three daily meals other than that, the fruit was the only thing different, but how it affected one and not the other two? Do you build an immunity with frequent travel, I wonder?

Also, I got a measles mumps rubella shot, only because Boston (where I live/work) was having an outbreak last year at the time and there was a period in the mid-60s to mid 70s where the vaccinations were found to have lasted as long, and that's when I got mine as a child. Just something else to know.

HappyTrvlr

We were told it was OK to eat fruit with hatd shell like melons. Otherwise, fruit had to be peeled.

LadyMarion

We went to China in 2000 in January & have never been so cold in our lives! Nothing was heated: restaurant, museum, store, so there was no way to get warm until we returned to our hotel each night. Some of us just have a tender tummy & are more susceptible to problems. In addition to Immodium, I'd suggest an antibiotic that targets such issues, like Cipro. I went to Central America and Vietnam & Cambodia within a 6 month period. I thought one anti-malerial & antibiotic would do for both countries, but a travel med place said not so. I believed them. Where did I get sick? At a 5 star hotel in Siem Reap!