India - Last minute 6-day trip to BOM, BLR--do I really need vaccinations?

Last minute work trip, most likely no time for fun. :( Do I really need to do the recommended Hep A/B, typhoid, polio booster?

Leaving in 10 days, so not sure it would matter anyway...would really appreciate some perspective. I've been all over and even eaten street food successfully in BGK, KL, Taipei, HK, Mexico, etc. without any issues.

My co-worker (who's 60+ and in somewhat fragile health, especially respiratory) wants to come along, but she's concerned about the impact of last minute vaccinations, travel stress, etc.

Advice from my FT people would be much appreciated!

Rhonda (dogmom11)

For healthy people (no history of serious infections), it won't matter much unless you plan to live in the eastern jungles.

For those in worse health, I would recommend getting vaccinated.

BTW, regarding Hep B, it is valid lifelong, so no booster is necessary unless you didn't respond to the vaccine in the first place. If you have not been vaccinated against Hep B, I would recommend getting that one ASAP.

I agree with Mr. Bean. I go to India every year. When I am in the rural areas, especially if I will be outdoors at night, I think that the vaccinations are a good idea. If I am only in the cities (DEL and BLR), I am less likely to take the meds.

Last minute work trip, most likely no time for fun. :( Do I really need to do the recommended Hep A/B, typhoid, polio booster?

Leaving in 10 days, so not sure it would matter anyway...would really appreciate some perspective. I've been all over and even eaten street food successfully in BGK, KL, Taipei, HK, Mexico, etc. without any issues.

My co-worker (who's 60+ and in somewhat fragile health, especially respiratory) wants to come along, but she's concerned about the impact of last minute vaccinations, travel stress, etc.

Advice from my FT people would be much appreciated!

Rhonda (dogmom11)

i have friends, relatives & clients coming over to india all the time....some get their vaccinations while some don't....none of them have ever had a problem....like others have suggested, if you plan to be in the cities then you have nothing to worry about....

Isn't malaria an issue in parts of India?

Isn't malaria an issue in parts of India?

Yep. Avoid mosquitos ^

No itching, no malaria.

Yep. Avoid mosquitos ^

Tough business that. They seem to love feasting on foreigners... fresh blood must taste better :confused:

I always seem to get bitten the most when I go to visit India :D



Back to the OP... while malaria is not something you'd want, the drugs for malaria prophylaxis are also not things you want to be taking. They can have some nasty side effects, so make sure you are aware of those, and weigh those against the odds that you will contract malaria given the places you travel (small to minuscule in any case).

Tough business that. They seem to love feasting on foreigners... fresh blood must taste better :confused:

I always seem to get bitten the most when I go to visit India :D



Back to the OP... while malaria is not something you'd want, the drugs for malaria prophylaxis are also not things you want to be taking. They can have some nasty side effects, so make sure you are aware of those, and weigh those against the odds that you will contract malaria given the places you travel (small to minuscule in any case).

Some Malaria drugs do. Malarone doesn't, and if your prescription drug coverage covers it, it's cheap enough to be a no-brainer.

CDC India (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-4-select-destinations/india.htm)

Needless to say, you can avoid most of the vaccinations if you are staying in the big cities, watch what you eat/drink (stay away from the meat stuff). Easy for me to say, being a veggie :cool:

Back to the OP... while malaria is not something you'd want, the drugs for malaria prophylaxis are also not things you want to be taking. They can have some nasty side effects, so make sure you are aware of those, and weigh those against the odds that you will contract malaria given the places you travel (small to minuscule in any case).
Some Malaria drugs do. Malarone doesn't, and if your prescription drug coverage covers it, it's cheap enough to be a no-brainer.agreed, I've taken Malarone for two different trips and had zero side effects. FWIW.

agreed, I've taken Malarone for two different trips and had zero side effects. FWIW.

And I have a neighbor who can't tolerate it. Nausea and vomiting are potential side effects of Malarone.

CDC India (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-4-select-destinations/india.htm)

Needless to say, you can avoid most of the vaccinations if you are staying in the big cities, watch what you eat/drink (stay away from the meat stuff). Easy for me to say, being a veggie :cool:

I agree with above.

I go back regularly, grew up in Mumbai on street food stalls only (tastier than five stars !). But now have a "weakened" immune system so when I eat there on the streets it is only the extremely hot foods that just came off the stove or go to my "trusted" streetwala stall.

Re malaria tabs, many call for start of ingestions days prior and during the trip. In the US they are expensive.

If you anticipate semi regular trips to India, you can buy these very economically (just choose a reputable Chemist (as pharmacists are called). You don't even need a prescription !

Relax, sort of go with the flow, eat at better restaurants, drink bottled water and enjoy the people, sights and sounds ....

Before my recent trip to Delhi I visited the local public health clinic and got advice from the very experienced nurse that handles immunizations there. She strongly advised the Center for Disease recommended shots and pills which I got.

I am amazed at the blithe dismissal of these important public health protections above in this thread.

FT is generally a good source of info, but, here, with all respect to the above posters, none have claimed to be MDs or nurses with professional knowledge and a layperson's guesses in this area aren't worth much, if anything.

Get your shots, take your pills, don't get sick. @:-)

By the way, when I was in grad school we had a professor who was in a wheelchair. He had gone to West Africa with the Peace Corp and gotten something which crippled him for life (and he was a college athlete, too).

Much better safe than sorry.

Before my recent trip to Delhi I visited the local public health clinic and got advice from the very experienced nurse that handles immunizations there. She strongly advised the Center for Disease recommended shots and pills which I got.

of course she did....my grandfather, after he retired, used to work part time at a local public health clinic in louisville....he was told that anyone traveling to a third world country should be told that the center for disease recommended certain shots & pills....when he asked if they were necessary, he was told that it was not but that should be the message they should be sending people....

I am amazed at the blithe dismissal of these important public health protections above in this thread.

there is no blithe dismissal of anything....people are just relating their experiences....

FT is generally a good source of info, but, here, with all respect to the above posters, none have claimed to be MDs or nurses with professional knowledge and a layperson's guesses in this area aren't worth much, if anything.

my grandfather was a doctor who practiced in chicago & louisville all his life & my brother is a doctor practicing here in india....they both share the views expressed here....

Get your shots, take your pills, don't get sick. @:-)

generally a good idea but not necessary....

By the way, when I was in grad school we had a professor who was in a wheelchair. He had gone to West Africa with the Peace Corp and gotten something which crippled him for life (and he was a college athlete, too).

stuff like that can happen anywhere....a number of years ago a friend of mine came to india to attend the mt. everest base camp....he traveled all over & went back to london healthy as a horse....within a couple of months of getting back he caught a bug there which put him in the hospital for weeks....we still tease him to this day on how he survived everest & fell sick when he got back home....

Much better safe than sorry.

finally something we can agree on....

Nobody claimed to be an MD, we are just relaying our experiences. fwiw, I pointed you to the CDC site (I'm amazed you didn't think of that before, what with google and other geegaws on the intertubes) :rolleyes:

Before my recent trip to Delhi I visited the local public health clinic and got advice from the very experienced nurse that handles immunizations there. She strongly advised the Center for Disease recommended shots and pills which I got.

I am amazed at the blithe dismissal of these important public health protections above in this thread.

FT is generally a good source of info, but, here, with all respect to the above posters, none have claimed to be MDs or nurses with professional knowledge and a layperson's guesses in this area aren't worth much, if anything.

Get your shots, take your pills, don't get sick. @:-)

By the way, when I was in grad school we had a professor who was in a wheelchair. He had gone to West Africa with the Peace Corp and gotten something which crippled him for life (and he was a college athlete, too).

Much better safe than sorry.