Diptheria Shots for Russia?
 

Hi! My husband and I are taking the May 19 Russia/Scandinavia cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas. In our preliminary documents they recommended getting a diptheria shot or booster since there have been outbreaks in Russia. We will have a very limited time in St. Petersburg and plan to see a Folkloric show, the Hermitage, and do a Lenin & the Russian Revolution tour. Any advice on the shots. Our family doctor is reluctant to give them to us because of possible adverse reactions.

I just received a tetanus - diphtheria booster from my doctor. I believe it should be standard procedure for most everybody. <BR><BR>But rather than getting advice from a bunch of anonymous folk on this site, why don’t you take a look at the Center for Disease Control site, http://www.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/dtp.htm<BR>

Some counties in the USA have public health offices with travel clinics that are up to date on the needed immunizations and are set up to administer them. I know where I live in Clarke County Georgia,the University of Georgia Health Services offers travel clinic services to the public. <BR>There is one staff memeber whose job it is to keep up with the latest requirements. Before I go to Europe I always check to make sure I am up to date. <BR><BR>Western Europe does not require any immunizations I would not get as part of everyday life. For Russia and other eastern European nations, I would consider the whole lineup recommended by someone who knows. <BR><BR>Certainly the CDC website is a good place to start. It can tell you if cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and other vaccines are a good idea or not. <BR><BR>I know one thing. I would not follow much advice given here!!

<BR>Tetanus shots should be made, i.e. renewed every 10th year. Usually, they are done together with diptheria.<BR>Like Ron said, over here, it's more or less a standard procedure.

Do not bother to do it. Spent 2 weeks wit my husband and 11 y old in Russia 2 y ago- all thoes reports are highly blown out from any proportion

Wow, you can get well-researched, definitive medical advice on Fodors after all!

Also watch the water that you drink in St Petersburg, it contains some pretty bad bugs, this also includes ice and fountain cola.

I was in Moscow and St, Petersburg for 8 days in late May 2002. I decided to follow the CDC recommendations and receved the immunizations. While I would tend to agree with those who say that the risk is low if you do not travel outside of the cities to rural areas, in my analysis of it it did not hurt to err on the side of caution. <BR>Besides a sore arm for a couple days from the typhoid shot there were no ill effects.<BR><BR>I also agree about the comment on the water in StP. It is known to harbor giardia parasites because the city is built on swamps and the water infrastructure is decaying, which allows groundwater to enter the domestic system. In Moscow the water had a decidedly unsavory metallic odor, and the hotel did not recommend using it to brush teeth, much less drinking it. Have a great time. St. Petersburg is a wonderful city.

easy answer: trust the Inquirer, the anonymous posters here, or the CDC...

Took very similar cruise 2 yrs ago - follow your doctor's advice. We got hepititus (sp??!) shots in part because of the USA shellfish situation (vacation in south too). I got tetanus booster because it was time for it. She also gave us general antibiotic. Best not to drink the water in St. Petersburg. If you are with a tour group or guide, bottled water will be served with any meal.

You might want to ask your doctor about the lab test (can be done as part of a routine blood workup) to see whether or not your tetnus immunity is still in place. I do this to avoid unnecessary shots.