Immunizations??

stebro wrote:

At the risk of sounding paranoid I had a conversation with my doctor about my upcoming trip to Vietnam and he recommended a series of immunizations.  As he went over each one, including a map of regions in the country where I should be concerned, I could get the impressions that there is a plague happening there with  everything from hepatitis A & B, tetanus, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid, not to mention other less severe issues (like diarrhea).

The conversation went something like this?  plan to eat food from street vendors or drinking tap water?  Major Hep A.  Planning on hiking outside of urban areas?  tetanus & encephalitis from the mosquitoes.  Anywhere near caves or being outdoors at night?   Bats and critters and you know...

I'm not paranoid, but cautious so may I ask - how big a problem is this list?  I think the doctor was trying to put the fear of God in me but since I never hear of outbreaks or concerns or the topic ever even being brought up I'm thinking if I take prudent precautions I'll be fine.  Then again, how frequently does anyone hear of any of these realities?

The doctor's concerns sound quite reasonable to me.

Get the immunizations and you will improve your chances for an uneventful time in Vietnam.

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Vietnam

VACCINE    HOW DISEASE SPREADS    DETAILS
Hepatitis A    Food & Water    Recommended for most travelers
Hepatitis B    Blood & Body Fluids    Accelerated schedule available
Typhoid    Food & Water    Shot lasts 2 years. Oral vaccine lasts 5 years, must be able to swallow pills. Oral doses must be kept in a refrigerator.
Japanese Encephalitis    Mosquito    Recommended depending on itinerary and activities. May be given to short- and extended-stay travelers, recurrent travelers, and travel to rural areas. Present throughout the country, especially northern regions. Most cases from May to October.
Rabies    Saliva of Infected Animals    High-risk country. Vaccine recommended for long-term travelers and those who may come in contact with animals.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Vietnam

VACCINE    HOW DISEASE SPREADS    DETAILS
Hepatitis A    Food & Water    Recommended for most travelers
Hepatitis B    Blood & Body Fluids    Accelerated schedule available
Typhoid    Food & Water    Shot lasts 2 years. Oral vaccine lasts 5 years, must be able to swallow pills. Oral doses must be kept in a refrigerator.
Japanese Encephalitis    Mosquito    Recommended depending on itinerary and activities. May be given to short- and extended-stay travelers, recurrent travelers, and travel to rural areas. Present throughout the country, especially northern regions. Most cases from May to October.
Rabies    Saliva of Infected Animals    High-risk country. Vaccine recommended for long-term travelers and those who may come in contact with animals.

FFS I,m out of here on next flight

moscowmetro wrote:

Jim-Minh wrote:

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Vietnam

VACCINE    HOW DISEASE SPREADS    DETAILS
Hepatitis A    Food & Water    Recommended for most travelers
Hepatitis B    Blood & Body Fluids    Accelerated schedule available
Typhoid    Food & Water    Shot lasts 2 years. Oral vaccine lasts 5 years, must be able to swallow pills. Oral doses must be kept in a refrigerator.
Japanese Encephalitis    Mosquito    Recommended depending on itinerary and activities. May be given to short- and extended-stay travelers, recurrent travelers, and travel to rural areas. Present throughout the country, especially northern regions. Most cases from May to October.
Rabies    Saliva of Infected Animals    High-risk country. Vaccine recommended for long-term travelers and those who may come in contact with animals.

FFS I,m out of here on next flight

🤣

Do you need any special shots to go back to Scotland?

😉

Do you need any special shots to go back to Scotland?

make it a double "shot" of  Glenmorangie & I will be fine, too cold & miserable there for germs to propagate!

moscowmetro wrote:

FFS I,m out of here on next flight

Have a good trip!

moscowmetro wrote:

Do you need any special shots to go back to Scotland?

make it a double "shot" of  Glenmorangie & I will be fine, too cold & miserable there for germs to propagate!

I think I get credit for an assist for setting you up for that three-pointer 😉

I pretty much got all the shots, vaccines and pills possible before leaving. I prefer to be overcautious with health related matters... but the odds of some of these diseases are very slim, like Japanese encephalitis. Beyond all of these vaccines, the most efficient protection will be wearing a condom 

Be sure to get your hep B immunization if you plan on sampling the local talent.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Be sure to get your hep B immunization if you plan on sampling the local talent.

No immunisation for Herpes & its the "gift that keeps on giving"

moscowmetro wrote:

Jim-Minh wrote:

Be sure to get your hep B immunization if you plan on sampling the local talent.

No immunisation for Herpes & its the "gift that keeps on giving"

You're right, going back to massages-only ASAP!

Not that I have first hand experience mind!!!

Stebro you still here? Maybe stealth.

AFAIK everyone should be up to date on Hep A / Hep B /  Tetanus no matter what country you live in. Typhoid is a good idea because of water. Seems crazy to spend $100 for it before you arrive, I would just get it here. Japanese encephalitis is very rare, only in rural areas, 300 cases a year, but can be deadly for kids. Mosquito repellent probably good enough. Malaria rare too.

No don't drink tap water. Diarrhea - easy, bring imodium pills.

I recently got poked at the Victoria clinic in Q7. Tetanus booster was only $2.50, annual flu shot $20.

Nobody talks about intestinal worms (understandably) but my wife's family take a worming pill once a year.

$2.50 for a shot? Can't even get a coffee at any clinic in Canada for that price!

stebro wrote:

how big a problem is this list?

gobot wrote:

AFAIK everyone should be up to date on Hep A / Hep B /  Tetanus no matter what country you live in. Typhoid is a good idea because of water.  Japanese encephalitis is very rare. Malaria rare too.

No don't drink tap water. Diarrhea - easy, bring imodium pills.

Nobody talks about intestinal worms (understandably) but my wife's family take a worming pill once a year.

I'm with Gobot all the way to the last line, but we crossed typhoid off our list.

FWIW, my husband had Hep A & B after we arrived.  Then he had a tetanus booster after an up close and personal meeting with a steel rod from a lamppost.  (We were walking legally, the steel rod was protruding illegally.  The steel rod won, husband got 8 stitches.  A trail of blood followed us from the street back to the building, down the basement, up the lift, all over the kitchen and bathroom floor.  Head wound was such horor ! )

I had Hep A & B shots 11 years previously for a very long sea and land voyage through Central & South America; the blood test in Vietnam showed that I didn't need to do it again.

We didn't have flu shot.  We took worm tests and a worm pill every year.

That's all the immunizations we had.