Recommended vaccination for Asia trip
#17
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC, IB+, TAM multi+
Posts: 453
Don't get malaria profylaxis unless you absolutely have to (go to a very high malaria incidence area). And even then, only take Malarone, never ever take lariam. Especially not if you are a young male (<30 years of age).
One of my friends became absolutely totally bonkers crazy due to that stuff, even becoming aggressive, getting very strange dreams etc. It has reportedly even killed people.
Don't buy expensive anti mosquito stuff in your home country. Instead, buy the stuff that is used by locals. Spray repellant, use one of those things you plug into a power outlet while you are sleeping which emits anti-mosquito stuff, and cover yourself during the night even when it's hot with a thin blanket, and use a fan rather than AC (the fan tends to upset the mosquitos a bit). If you are truly going into the bush bush, use a mosquito net (buy it locally for cheap), and use one of those poisonous 'spirals' which you can light with your lighter and which slowly burn during the night, emitting anti-mosquito stuff. I don't think the latter stuff is very good for your for an extended amount of time but it's an option. I used them in the Brazilian bush bush lacking other options.
Zika, chikungunya and especially dengue are almost as dangerous/unpleasant as malaria and you can't do anything about them anyway, so I don't see why it makes sense to spend hundreds of euros on malaria profylaxis (though even the fact that my insurance would have covered it, I didn't use it) which is also very detrimental to your body in the long run. Of course if you really are going to malaria hotspots it could be necessary, but avoid it at all costs.
One of my friends became absolutely totally bonkers crazy due to that stuff, even becoming aggressive, getting very strange dreams etc. It has reportedly even killed people.
Don't buy expensive anti mosquito stuff in your home country. Instead, buy the stuff that is used by locals. Spray repellant, use one of those things you plug into a power outlet while you are sleeping which emits anti-mosquito stuff, and cover yourself during the night even when it's hot with a thin blanket, and use a fan rather than AC (the fan tends to upset the mosquitos a bit). If you are truly going into the bush bush, use a mosquito net (buy it locally for cheap), and use one of those poisonous 'spirals' which you can light with your lighter and which slowly burn during the night, emitting anti-mosquito stuff. I don't think the latter stuff is very good for your for an extended amount of time but it's an option. I used them in the Brazilian bush bush lacking other options.
Zika, chikungunya and especially dengue are almost as dangerous/unpleasant as malaria and you can't do anything about them anyway, so I don't see why it makes sense to spend hundreds of euros on malaria profylaxis (though even the fact that my insurance would have covered it, I didn't use it) which is also very detrimental to your body in the long run. Of course if you really are going to malaria hotspots it could be necessary, but avoid it at all costs.
Last edited by Bakpapier; Aug 28, 2016 at 5:36 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: EWR
Posts: 180
Typhoid is almost universally recommended but of Americans I know who have visited regions where it is endemic (Latin America, Asia), few get vaccinated. The side effects of both the vaccine and oral vaccination, as well as the cost, seem to make it not worth it.
#19
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,269
The typhoid vaccine is not expensive and has relatively low side effect incidence.
#21
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta PM
Posts: 323
Probably not in a lot of healthcare systems. If I ask my PCP about travel-related vaccinations or medications, she refers me to the travel clinic where they specialize in that sort of thing. The only time I go to the PCP is if it's for a booster of a pretty standard vaccination that I started with the travel doc (like Hep A).
#22
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
For advice about mosquitos:
If you're going to an area where there are Anopheles or Aedes mozzies and malaria, dengue, etc. you can buy clothing impregnated with permethrin or spray it on yourself. It persists through several launderings. If you'll be in the bush you can buy mosquito nets impregnated with permethrin.
Be careful of mosquito coils or plug in cookers, particularly if you have asthma or other respiratory condition. I don't, and yet a dose of "FumaKilla" in-room plug-in cooker with past ille's in Perú forced me (reeling and gasping for air) out of the room until it could be properly ventilated and took me over an hour to recover from breathing difficulties and feeling I was suffocating.
If you buy local repellent be sure it's the right kind and percentage - and still within its pull date. Read about repellents and their effects - picaridin and DEET are the ones recommended most.
(When I travel to malaria us areas such as East or Central Africa, Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu I usually take Malarone with me - and would take it presumptively if I had malarial symptoms. I always have dosage information with me. But I do have it for malaria us areas - I've known of people who didn't pay attention and who died because they didn't protect themselves and got falciparum (the worst, and the most common in locales I've mentioned but not in the Americas) malaria and had it become cerebral.)
Do use good sources: a travel clinic or Doctor may in fact be better informed than your family practitioner - about travel medicine. Your own practitioner may be important if you have a record of any condition (such as asthma) as well. There are decent travel sites, such as CDC, NHS or IAMAT. Don't just rely on a general site like FT.
If you're going to an area where there are Anopheles or Aedes mozzies and malaria, dengue, etc. you can buy clothing impregnated with permethrin or spray it on yourself. It persists through several launderings. If you'll be in the bush you can buy mosquito nets impregnated with permethrin.
Be careful of mosquito coils or plug in cookers, particularly if you have asthma or other respiratory condition. I don't, and yet a dose of "FumaKilla" in-room plug-in cooker with past ille's in Perú forced me (reeling and gasping for air) out of the room until it could be properly ventilated and took me over an hour to recover from breathing difficulties and feeling I was suffocating.
If you buy local repellent be sure it's the right kind and percentage - and still within its pull date. Read about repellents and their effects - picaridin and DEET are the ones recommended most.
(When I travel to malaria us areas such as East or Central Africa, Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu I usually take Malarone with me - and would take it presumptively if I had malarial symptoms. I always have dosage information with me. But I do have it for malaria us areas - I've known of people who didn't pay attention and who died because they didn't protect themselves and got falciparum (the worst, and the most common in locales I've mentioned but not in the Americas) malaria and had it become cerebral.)
Do use good sources: a travel clinic or Doctor may in fact be better informed than your family practitioner - about travel medicine. Your own practitioner may be important if you have a record of any condition (such as asthma) as well. There are decent travel sites, such as CDC, NHS or IAMAT. Don't just rely on a general site like FT.
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 28, 2016 at 9:14 am
#23
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
No.
Not all PCP's are well-versed in travel medicine, especially when talking about more than just vaccines. Travel doctors specialize in the topic, which is important when talking about conditions that can't be prevented by a vaccine like dengue.
Certainly there are primary care doctors who can make perfectly sound recommendations in this area but I'd go to specialist.
Not all PCP's are well-versed in travel medicine, especially when talking about more than just vaccines. Travel doctors specialize in the topic, which is important when talking about conditions that can't be prevented by a vaccine like dengue.
Certainly there are primary care doctors who can make perfectly sound recommendations in this area but I'd go to specialist.
#24
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,269
No.
Not all PCP's are well-versed in travel medicine, especially when talking about more than just vaccines. Travel doctors specialize in the topic, which is important when talking about conditions that can't be prevented by a vaccine like dengue.
Certainly there are primary care doctors who can make perfectly sound recommendations in this area but I'd go to specialist.
Not all PCP's are well-versed in travel medicine, especially when talking about more than just vaccines. Travel doctors specialize in the topic, which is important when talking about conditions that can't be prevented by a vaccine like dengue.
Certainly there are primary care doctors who can make perfectly sound recommendations in this area but I'd go to specialist.
Risk factors are highly individualized. A PCP knows your health better than a "travel doctor", which is often a storefront moonlighting gig.
If you have a good PCP, if he really thinks something is beyond his expertise, he'll make a referral. A PCP and a "travel doctor" will consult the same materials.
#25
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: BOI
Posts: 223
I'm not sure about the answer to the OP's question, but I do know I'm headed to a doctor's appointment this week and I've got my list of questions for him about how best to go about planning our family trip (flights. what to see, hotels, all around recommendations) to S. America next summer.
Last edited by travellingwineO; Aug 29, 2016 at 4:22 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: SJC
Programs: UA 1MM
Posts: 262
As others have said, IF you have access to a travel medicine clinic, those will be far better prepared and informed than your average PCP.
For example, in SF, I've gone here: http://www.sfcdcp.org/aitc.html
For example, in SF, I've gone here: http://www.sfcdcp.org/aitc.html
#27
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: ANC, SAP
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 1,860
Hi guys,
I´m a European guy planning a trip to Asia in February (BKK, HKG, SIN, KL) and was wondering what is the recomended vaccination when doing a trip like this.
The trip will have a duration of 3 weeks more and less, and I've read a few informative web sites regarding this issue but most of them seem to play very safe and recomend a ton of vaccines to prevent illnesses.
Knowing that lots of persons who frequent this forum live in western countries I would like to know how you guys approach this theme?
I´m a European guy planning a trip to Asia in February (BKK, HKG, SIN, KL) and was wondering what is the recomended vaccination when doing a trip like this.
The trip will have a duration of 3 weeks more and less, and I've read a few informative web sites regarding this issue but most of them seem to play very safe and recomend a ton of vaccines to prevent illnesses.
Knowing that lots of persons who frequent this forum live in western countries I would like to know how you guys approach this theme?
#28
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,442
Hi guys,
I´m a European guy planning a trip to Asia in February (BKK, HKG, SIN, KL) and was wondering what is the recomended vaccination when doing a trip like this.
The trip will have a duration of 3 weeks more and less, and I've read a few informative web sites regarding this issue but most of them seem to play very safe and recomend a ton of vaccines to prevent illnesses.
Knowing that lots of persons who frequent this forum live in western countries I would like to know how you guys approach this theme?
I´m a European guy planning a trip to Asia in February (BKK, HKG, SIN, KL) and was wondering what is the recomended vaccination when doing a trip like this.
The trip will have a duration of 3 weeks more and less, and I've read a few informative web sites regarding this issue but most of them seem to play very safe and recomend a ton of vaccines to prevent illnesses.
Knowing that lots of persons who frequent this forum live in western countries I would like to know how you guys approach this theme?
So yes, if you want to "play it very safe", getting shots is a good idea - but it's far from absolutely necessary.
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Terceira Island
Programs: TP Gold, *G Star Alliance
Posts: 251
First of all let me thank everyone for the huge amount of feedback I´ve received.
Having said that, I´m based in Portugal and decided to schedule a doctor's appointment that is specifically designed for travel purposes called "Consulta do Viajante".
I´ve also spoken with a few people I know that have recently been to these places and will prob only take shots for hep A, typhoid and rabies.
Having said that, I´m based in Portugal and decided to schedule a doctor's appointment that is specifically designed for travel purposes called "Consulta do Viajante".
I´ve also spoken with a few people I know that have recently been to these places and will prob only take shots for hep A, typhoid and rabies.