Do most Carribean Travelers

[R&R sail again]

get any kind of special shots before leaving. We are going on the 10 day Volendam cruise - which enters the canal to the lake and then returns. We are only planning ship excursions. Should we be worried about Yellow Fever or anything else? What do other cruisers do? Thanks for your help.

[Orcrone]

I have never received extra innoculations for Caribbean travel, but I've only been to common tourist destinations. I've included a link to the CDC web site listing all required & recommended innoculations for each country.

[jhannah]

None are needed. The closest risk warning I'm aware of is malaria on the Yucatan Peninsula. If you stop at Cozumel and don't go over to Playa del Carmen, then you should be fine. We've been over there, however, with no problem ... and without shots.

[eh2zed]

No shots are needed but in any event your TA would inform you as well as HAL.

[hammybee]

I don't know of anyone who obtain shots to sail in the Caribbean. Given I don't know everyone, I am sure there are some who do. Cruise ships do not put you in proxcimity of areas prone to malaria.

 

A good mosquito repellent is all you really need.

 

According to the CDC, no dealths from malaria have been reported anywhere in Mexico since 1982. Here is a link to the CDC site:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/control_prevention/mexico.htm

[R&R sail again]

for all your replies. I didn't think it was necessary (although the websites don't come right out and say that.) But all the time I have spend on Cruise Critics, I had never seen anyone mention getting shots. So, I do really appreciate your replies.:)

[NoNoNanette]

Hi R&R-

 

If you're a blood donor, there MIGHT be restrictions. :confused:

 

My best buddy donates her platelets. (spelling???) She can't even spend the night in a home if a resident has hepatitis.

 

That's the only worry that I would have about Central America.

[geocruiser]

R&R sail again,

 

When are you sailing on Volendam? We are sailing on her 12/3/07.

 

Geo

[jhannah]

If you're a blood donor, there MIGHT be restrictions. :confused:

There certainly is, Nanette. When we went to Tulum, I was deferred from giving blood for one year! I was just ready to complete my 13th gallon ... but had to wait.

[NoNoNanette]

That must have been disappointing, Jim. Amy would have been devastated. She's one of her blood bank's "superstars". ;)

 

I trust that you're all settled in to your new home in Texas, honey. Hope all is well. :)

[Vic The Parrot]

Nanette mentioned hepatitis.

 

There was a time when it was suggested to get vaccinated for that if one was going to a tropical locale. I'm just wondering if that's still the case ...

[R&R sail again]

We are going March22, 2008. A long time to wait!!!!:(

[Freedom55]

My wife and I had our Twinrix (Hepatitus) shots before we went the first time. It was suggested that it is a good thing to have with ANY international travel.

[Freedom55]

There certainly is, Nanette. When we went to Tulum, I was deferred from giving blood for one year! I was just ready to complete my 13th gallon ... but had to wait.

13 GALLONS! holy crap!!!!!!!!

dat dere is a lotta blud!

 

but being Canadian we only understand Liters now! so you are 49.196 liters

[michmike]

in the Ocean Bar......Knob Creek, straight up... thus far no plague, cholera, dengue fever or ebola in 8 trips... it appears to be working.. *S*

[NoNoNanette]

in the Ocean Bar......Knob Creek, straight up... thus far no plague, cholera, dengue fever or ebola in 8 trips... it appears to be working.. *S*

 

Make mine a Ketel One martini. Up. Nice and dry, baby! :D

[Robin7]

My wife and I had our Twinrix (Hepatitus) shots before we went the first time. It was suggested that it is a good thing to have with ANY international travel.

 

Interesting that this would come up today. My dh and I just had a 'boatload' :D of immunizations this afternoon: The Twinrix (Hep A&B combined in one shot, first of three), TdaP (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis), Typhoid (opted for the two-year shot instead of the five-year oral form), and Yellow Fever. The travel nurse at the Health Department pulled up the CDC Web site and said those were the essential ones. RABIES :eek: vaccinations (a three-shot series) are also recommended for Panama and Costa Rica. At $400+ for the series, I hope we'll be able to avoid rabid animals. Or at least run fast. :D

 

The CDC Web site says yellow fever is not required for the Canal Zone or for Puerto Limon (our stop in Costa Rica) but mosquitos LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE me, so I wanted to err on the safe side since we're looking at jungle kayaking or a jungle river boat ride and that kind of thing in both places.

 

Robin

[RetiredMustang]

We have sailed many Caribbean itineraries, and never thought to check our shots, although ours are mostly up to date since we travel a lot.

 

But, we are on the Noordam Panama Canal cruise coming up in a couple of weeks, and checked into this. Yellow Fever is not endemic in the Canal Zone area, but is present in the San Blas islands. In addition, some countries might (low probability but possible) require a vaccination certificate or will quarantine you and make you take the shot. I know Aruba, first stop in the Caribbean for us after the Canal, requires the certificate if you are from or have passed through a Yellow Fever endemic zone.

 

DW and I went to a clinic specializing in travel medicine and had our shot cards checked through. We both got the Yellow Fever (first time for her, third time for me), DW got the hepatitis shots that I already had received a while ago, and we both got prescriptions for malaria meds just in case -- northern Costa Rica has malaria, although not at Puntarenas where the ship is pulling in.

 

You probably should talk it over with your doctor or find a travel medicine clinic. The shots were not cheap, but are worth it to us for ease of mind.

 

Dave

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Concerning blood donations, talk with someone at your local blood bank. They're kinda skittish on what's OK and what's not OK. We were in Mexican Riviera last March ... blood bank said in-town at Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, you're fine to give ... out-of-town excursion from both ports, not ok to give. They get very specific.