Do I Need Any Special Shots?
- Thread starter Aja
- Start date
Gabydi
Member
I think it all depends from the country you're traveling from. For some countries the yellow fever vaccination is a must. Now if you're going to South India is advisable you take malaria medications, I would also say Hep A and B and tetanus (this is not only for India but everywhere else), I also heard that if you plan to stay more than a month in India rabies vaccine is also recommended (don't aks me why, I just read this somewhere).
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
amelia88
Active Member
The USA travel health website says that your routine shots should be up to date, and recommend Typhoid and Hep A for most travellers too. Others that were recommended depending on the nature of your trip and what you may be doing included Hep B, Malaria and Rabies. The site noted there was no yellow fever risk in India just in case anyone was concerned about getting that shot.
Skitmaker
New Member
The few vaccines you should consider are tetanus, typhoid and Hepatitis A. Depends on where you're going, you might need a vaccine for yellow fever, typhoid and Hep B as well. For malaria, you can just take oral drugs for the duration of your stay; ask your doctor and pharmacist about that. I haven't keep up to date since I return from the UK, so I can't recommend the type of anti-malarial tablets you should take for India, sorry.
I would think it's really just in your own best interest to be vaccinated against diseases you may come into contact with. You may also need medication to protect against malaria and traveler's diarrhea, too.
Essentially they're concerned if you've come from a Yellow Fever area, and should have both the book + stamp to prove vaccination, and of course have had the vaccination. Of course if you've not been to those countries, then it's not as important. They recommend not getting the Yellow Fever vaccination for India.
The other concern is Malaria. Below 2000m it exists throughout the country. Unfortunately there's no vaccination, and some strains are even resistant to some drugs. You'll need to look at what area you're going to, and then find out if it's worth getting a drug to take while in that area (they're simple tablets). Your GP or travel doctor can advise.
Personally if there's a risk of Malaria, I take the pills. They're cheap, don't seem to give me side effects, and I've seen people who have had Malaria and would rather not take that risk.
The other concern is Malaria. Below 2000m it exists throughout the country. Unfortunately there's no vaccination, and some strains are even resistant to some drugs. You'll need to look at what area you're going to, and then find out if it's worth getting a drug to take while in that area (they're simple tablets). Your GP or travel doctor can advise.
Personally if there's a risk of Malaria, I take the pills. They're cheap, don't seem to give me side effects, and I've seen people who have had Malaria and would rather not take that risk.
Yep! Traveler's diarrhea comes from drinking foreign water and getting sick as a result. I can't remember the name of the antibiotic, but there is one in particular that works great as a Traveler's diarrhea preventive. You have to tell your doctor you plan on going out of the country soon and he can prescribe it for you.
TravelCheap3
Member
I'm not sure the exact shots you would need. You probably should get your hepatitis shots A and B as a general rule of thumb while travelling. When I went to India, that's the only shots I had and I was fine. You should probably consult with your doctor to figure this out.
Skitmaker
New Member
Traveler's diarrhea also comes from eating foreign foods that your stomach is not used to, and will result in a bad trip to the toilet. I think the antibiotics for that is co-trimoxazole (or Biseptol in my country). I'd check with the doctor and maybe bring a few packs of instant noodles just in case you have a tender stomach.
