What type of shots needed

[lexdiamond20]

As the title says, what type of shots will I need from my US doctor before visiting the LOS? Anything to make me less sensitive to getting sick. I'm aware of keeping away form street food and water but seriously don't know if I can resist for 2 weeks.

[Hole]

i would be more worried about the street women than the street food!

I would advise a Hep B shot as i hear there is plenty of it about here.

[cheang]

tetnus, hep B would be my choices

[jbyacht]

I spoke with my local health department as well as a physician friend & a nurse at a travel health clinic and the following shots were listed as being needed for travel to the areas that I plan to visit in Thailand which are mainly Bangkok & Pattaya.

 

Tetanus (If you have not had a tetanus shot in past 10 years)

Typhoid

Hepatitis "A"

Hepatitis "B" (Hepatitis "B" is a series of 3 injections taken about a week apart. Then you

get a 4th injection one year later to give you life time protection)

 

Travelers Diarrhea is a problem in Thailand. Azithromycin is now listed as the antibiotic of choice for Travelers Diarrhea in both Thailand and India. Cipro is not effective for this type of diarrhea in these two countries.

 

At the first signs of diarrhea start with Pepto Bismol tablets, take as directed on the box every 6 - 8 hours. If diarrhea improves continue to take just the Pepto Bismol tablets as the diarrhea is probably not bacterial in origin.

 

At first signs of moderate diarrhea (considered 3 or more episodes of diarrhea in a 2 hour period -especially if accompanied with a fever- start taking one Azithromycin 500 mg tablet every 24 hours for 3 days.

 

Mosquitos are a problem in Thailand and the daytime mosquitos carry Dengue Fever. The dusk to dawn mosquitos carry Malaria, Yellow Fever, and Japanese Encephalitis. For best protection get rid of all scented grooming products and spray clothing and exposed areas of skin with a repellent 25 - 35% Deet. Avoid spraying the repellant directly on your face

 

Malaria is a big problem in many areas of Thailand, not so much in the Bangkok / Pattaya area, but in the far southern areas as well as border areas. A medication by the name of Malarone is available if you are going to be in a malaria area. It should be taken 2 days before entering a Malaria area and continued until you have been out of the area for 7 days.

 

The health department also advises against salads and any fruit that you can not peel. More travelers get sick from eating something as innocent as single leaf lettuce or a few scallions because most fruit and vegetables are grown with night nitrogen which is another name for raw untreated human waste.

 

The only safe foods are hot-steamy-well cooked foods. High risk foods are cool, cold, & luke warm foods. Avoid raw shellfish.

 

Use bottled water, even to brush your teeth. When showering keep your mouth closed.

 

Contact your local health department, physician, or a travel health clinic. Travel health clinics have much detailed information on precautions to take for the area that you will travel in.

[John Doe]

@jbyacht: great summary!

 

Some also advise a shot against Japanese Encephalitis, especially when traveling in remote areas and staying close with the locals.

 

Sure not needed for P4P in Pattaya, but in case you intend to stay some weeks with hilltribe people...

Stay away from pigs, as they hold the disease being spread by mosquitoes.

 

Also stay away from the dogs in the streets. In case one bites you immediately go to a hospital to get a shot against rabies. It's a deadly disease in case not treated in time.

 

- john

[Alex the Hedonist]

Im not sure they have developed the inoculation yet, but if you can find it, you need to get a

 

"ifellinlovewithathaigirlonmyholiday" virus booster shot...its one of those long medical names, i cant pronounce it, but trust me, YOU GONNNA NEED IT...lol...cuz nearly all of us have been infected at one time or another...takes a while to build up your immunity!

 

Cheers, Alex

Edited November 5, 2009 by Alex the Hedonist