Immunisations in Asia

[LHM]

Hi, for those travelling to Asia, do you get any immunisations?

 

 

 

LHM

[Globaliser]

Where in Asia? It's a big place, and you need different things for different places. And are you just making daytime stops on a cruise ship, or are you staying ashore?

[LHM]

Hi, just for the day trips into Thailand and Malaysia.

[Globaliser]

I'd be surprised if any immunisations are required.

 

My travel clinic advises me not to travel as far as my office without tetanus, polio, hepatits A and typhoid protection (which in the UK also now includes diphtheria for free). That will give you a good level of protection even if it's not required.

 

If you're only doing daytime trips ashore, then malaria won't be an issue, as malarial mosquitoes are normally only active from dusk onwards. It seems that you're unlikely to go anywhere where there's malaria, anyway. But protection against insect bites is always a good idea.

[LHM]

Tks for the info - I will speak to my Dr about it.

[Druke I]

We've cruised to/in Asia several times, and have not had to have any special shots, etc., but did check with our doctor to make sure all boosters, etc., were current.

 

Not like it was back in the Army, when we had some dozen or so shots before going overseas!

[mummsie]

No immunisations are required these days unless you are going into the depths of Asia. Just be careful about drinking water. Most places its ok although the water in Singapore made me feel a bit off - I didn't get sick or anything in the week we were there but in the end I used to boil it just to be on the safe side. I would take any water on day trips with me off the ship. Mummsie

[LHM]

Hi spoke to the Dr today and even though immunisations are not necessary he said that the Travel Health ??? (whoever it is) that he got his information from recommended Hep A, Typhoid (which also comes with Diptheria and Whooping cough) and Tetanus. Maybe he is just being over cautious as I thought it would be required if you were longer in these countries. I was a bit suprised about the Whooping cough as I thought you were immunised as a child and would be right for life but not apparently so. I had Typhoid and Diptheria when I lived overseas but the Typhoid one is only ok for 3 yrs. Tetanus only lasts for 10 yrs and I don't know much about Hep A - I don't think I had this one before.

 

Apparently he wants my 3 yr old to have the Hep A and Typhoid as well - I am not looking forward to that.

 

LHM

[NARELLE]

we went on Sapphire Princess last year Sydney to bangkok and then stayed in Bangkok for a week.

We were advised to have Hep A and tetanus shots which we did. Mind you they were expensive but better safe than sorry. We then had to follow up with a booster within I think 6 mths or so and that will last us now 10 years. On that cruise I know of people - mainly talking about O/S people who had eveything and then some that had nothing. Other friends we made from Aust had had Hep A&B.

Take your doctors advice but as I said be prepared to pay nad it is not covered by medicare. We were able to claim part back on our private health fund

[LHM]

Hi Narelle, tks for that. I think I will be safe rather than sorry and get the immunisations anyway, and like you said you can claim a lot of it back from your private health fund. I get a little scared for side effects for my little boy though but he was ok with all his other immusations so I am sure he will be fine.

 

LHM

[NARELLE]

LHM

 

There was absolutely no side affects to the needle. You know how sometimes after you had your shots when you were younger that your arm hurt well mine didn't.

I will tell a little story that happened 4 weeks before our big trip.

I suddenly had a sore leg thought I had pulled a muscle, didnt get better, got worse and started travelling all over my leg - result BLOOD CLOTS. They have no idea why I developed them as I had not been sick. We had 1 month to go had paid our money and then told by the vasucular surgeon that it was possible we wld have to cancel - we were celebrating DH 50th birthday on board. I was on 2 needles a day for 10 days and up until now we hadn't had our immunisations we were told to get them 2 weeks beforehand. Long story short I was given all clear to go- with a few conditions 1 week before sailing. I had to have the Hep A and the tetinus shot in the one day 4 days before we left. I never had a problem with these needles so and husb didnt either although he only had to have Hep A. I wldn't worry kids are pretty accepting of these things.

The funniest thing about this trip was that the sailing wasn't the problem with my leg it was the plane trip coming home form Bangkok. Before we boarded the plane Kim had to go with me - we went to disabled toilet as he had to give me an injection before we cld get back on the plane. The funny looks that we got coming out of the toilets together with our trolley of hand luggage. I was so scared that we wld be pulled up because I had a needle with Thai thinking it was drugs. with all the drug busts going on but we survived. so did I with 7 hours on the plane and not sitting down except for take off and landing. walked the aisles for 6 hours while everyone else slept the night away- but the trip was worth it

[NARELLE]

LHM

do not worry, had no side effects whatsoever.

After what I went thru 4 weeks beforehand if anyone was to get sick it wld have been me.

here is a short version of what happened. $ weeks to the cruise I had a sore leg, thought I pulled a muscle, got worse end conclusion had blood clots. Vascular surgeon said was very possible I wld not be able to go.

Frantic as we were going to celebrate husbands 50th and we had paid all our money. Long and short of it was after 10 days of 2 needles a day and several scans were told we cld go on a few proviso's. I had not had Hep A needle at this time as dr advised 2 weeks beforehand to have them. I had 4 days to go when I had HEp A and tetunus and never had any side effects.

The only thing we were really scared of was that I had to carry needles with me as Kim had to give me an injection before we cld board the plane to fly home from Bangkok. You can imagine how we were feeling if we got caught with the needle and they thought it was drugs. The only funny stares we got was when we came out of the disabled toilet at the airport together with our trolley of luggage. I boarded the plane onlt sat for takeoff and landing and walked the aisles for 6 hours as the specialist said I wasn't to sit down and had to keep moving. but the trip was worth it

[LHM]

Hi Narelle, gosh you poor thing . Here I am worried about needles. Is everything ok now? Did you have to wear those lovely support stockings? Did they end up finding out what caused the blood clots?

 

Tks for your encouragement with the needles. We will get them done in the next couple of days.

 

LHM

[NARELLE]

LHM,

 

yes I had to wear a full stocking all the time. Luckily I have a very supportive husband as he had and has to put it on every morning for me.

They dont know what caused them but from extensive tests I had done there was too much protein in my blood. I investigated this on the net and it did say that it leads to blood clots. Unfortunately after having the 10 days of needles one blood clot didn't go at the junction of my leg. Luckily it is not in deep vein - then he wld never allowed me to fly. The full stocking was a killer especially in the hot weather. After we returned I kindly asked if I cld go to half stocking - he didn't want me too but guess what I can at least cope with wearing that every day and it is not so bothersome now - just part of life having to wear it. I have to take Cartier now (low dose aspirin) and have not had any trouble since. This was actually exactly 12 months ago. I sometimes get funny feelings in my leg but I think that I am now very paranoid that they will come back - hopefully not, - as long as I wear the stocking.

[NARELLE]

sorry about the doulble pst before the computer crashed or so I thought

[LHM]

Hi Narelle, (sorry this is a bit of the cruise forum) but I am so sorry to hear that you had that problem and lets hope that it doesn't occur again. Did they say when you had to much protein that it was a temporary thing and won't happen again?

 

I am curious because a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with a genetic blood disorder which is an activated protein disorder which is one of most commonest reasons why people get blood clots. I have never had a problem with clots and they found it after I had a couple of miscarriages. I I take cardiprin (low dose aspirin) every day and like yourself will have to wear support stockings and walk the whole time for the flight. I was just wondering if it was something similar.

 

Glad you are ok now but I can understand that you must get a little worried every now and then.

 

LHM

[NARELLE]

LHM

 

It really does sound like the same thing doesn't it?

They never told me why I had too much protein in my blood at the time and I never asked I had too much going on as to whether we were going away or not.

I also now take a tablet (and the name of them escapes me at the moment) each day. I think it has something to do with Folate

Just to fill you in further I have Polycistic Kidney Disease - which is hereditiary I go every 6 mths for a checkup. This is where I have extensive blood tests done to watch levels of everything. When he first prescibed these tablets the count of the protein was 25.7 then in the 6 mths taking these tablets it has dropped to 15.3 (in Dec) but the normal range I think was somewhere between 10-12. At the time I thought it has dropped dramatically but still needs to come down further. At the time the vasucular surgeon never indicated what caused the clots and it was my kidney specialist who asked for copies of the blood tests that was done for the clots. He was the one that said I had a problem with the protein and gave me the tablets straight away.

With PKD being hereditiary, it doesn't come out till your a teenager which was when they discovered I had high blood pressure, but at the time never tested for kidneys. It was only when my Dad's professor said his children had better be tested that I discovered I had it. My sister didn;t get it.

Unfortunately I can't get my kids tested yet and have lived with that for 8 years now not knowing whether I have passed it on to them or not. They are only 14 & 16. I still have to wait a few more years to see if they got it.

I spoke to the kidney specialist in December about going (as we thought until they sold the ship ) to Asia In September and he said that I would still have to have a needle before I boarded the plane each time.

I suppose now that Asia is cancelled and we are flying to NZ and picking up Sapphire Princess in January 2007 I will still need to have a needle before I fly over.

 

Another interesting thing the Vasucular Surgeon said to me was that after I got off the plane (from walking for the 7 hours) I was not to go to sleep straight away as most people do when they come home from long flights - this is the worst time for the blood clots to form - he was referring to healthy people not just me.

[LHM]

Hi Narelle, gosh you certainly have had the run of the mill haven't you. Hope you are not sufferring too much. It does sound as though these tablets are helping. I have no idea if what caused your blood clots would be the same, as I don't really understand it. I understand how you feel with your kids, as I have to have my little boy tested when he is a teenager for the same complaint too. I guess on a positive that it is good that the Drs have found these problems so at least they can be treated and our children can be treated preventatively. I wonder how many people are walking out there on a time bomb with things wrong and have no idea (which sometimes I think ignorance is bliss). You will be in my prayers for better health and that your children are ok.

 

It is a bit of an inconvenience with the flying especially if you arrive late at night - gosh I would never of thought about the going to sleep bit can be more of a risk, but it is all logical though. Well I guess cruising and travelling is all worth it, and I am sure with modern medicine they will come up with improvements all the time. Take care LHM