southerla Posted March 17, 2010 #1 Share Posted March 17, 2010 The questions has come up that perhaps Typhoid and/or anti-malarial med should be given prior to travel to Belize City and Roatan. I have been to Cozumel and Grand Cayman before and never got any special vaccines or immunizations. Just wonder about the other 2 stops on the Legend's itinerary. Anyone know? Called Carnival and they said no. Called the CDC and they gave me a website to look it up. Not much help there. Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bxmvm Posted March 17, 2010 #2 Share Posted March 17, 2010 The questions has come up that perhaps Typhoid and/or anti-malarial med should be given prior to travel to Belize City and Roatan. I have been to Cozumel and Grand Cayman before and never got any special vaccines or immunizations. Just wonder about the other 2 stops on the Legend's itinerary. Anyone know? Called Carnival and they said no. Called the CDC and they gave me a website to look it up. Not much help there. Help! We just got back from the Legend and didn't get any immunizations prior to the trip. In Belize we did the Altun Ha and River Wallace tour with no issues (not 1 bite!). Same is true for Roatan. It's definitely not required, and i absolutely do NOT think it is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsprake Posted March 17, 2010 #3 Share Posted March 17, 2010 No one in our party got any immunizations before those ports a few years ago nor are we planning on getting any this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilpootr Posted March 17, 2010 #4 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I would check with your Doctor to see his/her thoughts on this. We were on the Legend last Feb (loved Roatan) and did get shots prior to our trip, on our doc's recommendation. Remember to call early, as one of the shots were hep, and it was a two or three part series... Have a great trip, you'll love the Legend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okwriter Posted March 17, 2010 #5 Share Posted March 17, 2010 This is something I never thought about! Thanks for posting and for those who've replied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerla Posted March 17, 2010 Author #6 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Thank you everyone for your quick response. We sail in 3 weeks. I think I will rest easy that several have sailed before us and no problems. Now is the time to think about margaritas - not mosquitoes. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenga1899 Posted March 17, 2010 #7 Share Posted March 17, 2010 This is my tidbit from my personal experience of having to get certain shots and vaccines for my student visa here in Dominica. Many GPs are not equipped to provide you with many specialized vaccines for endemic areas. You generally have to go to specialized travel medicine company who will know the most up-to-date CDC and WHO recommendations on where your are traveling, what diseases are endemic to the region, and what precautions are suggested. I HAD to get special shots because I was planning to stay for longer than 4 weeks. I will say that for most travel plans to a region where you are not planning to stay for an extended length of time that there will be no required shots and any precautions you choose to take will be fully at your discretion. On a cruise, you are staying in a region for usually less than 12 hours before moving on so you shouldn't find anything that is "required." :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5waldos Posted March 17, 2010 #8 Share Posted March 17, 2010 There is indeed malaria and typhoid in Belize and Roatan, as well as some dengue fever. For the amount of time you are there would recommend using an insect spray with deet. Malaria mosquitoes generally come out at dawn and dusk so usually cruisers aren't around at that time. Same with dengue. Generally the chances of catching any of these things in the few hours you are off the ship are very very low. And of course all medications carry some risk so you have to make a balance. There do not seem to be high levels of any of these things at this point. Carnival will not advise you because of concerns about responsibility but if there were high levels around would probably put out a warning. I for one would not worry at all about these, and it is pretty clear that very very few people on board have even thought about the possibility. But to clarify there is a shot for typhoid, pills for malaria which need to begin about a week before leaving and continue for several weeks on return, and there is nothing for dengue fever. But discuss this with your doctor or a travel clinic and don't rely on this anonymous person on the internet :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5waldos Posted March 17, 2010 #9 Share Posted March 17, 2010 This is my tidbit from my personal experience of having to get certain shots and vaccines for my student visa here in Dominica. Many GPs are not equipped to provide you with many specialized vaccines for endemic areas. You generally have to go to specialized travel medicine company who will know the most up-to-date CDC and WHO recommendations on where your are traveling, what diseases are endemic to the region, and what precautions are suggested. I HAD to get special shots because I was planning to stay for longer than 4 weeks. I will say that for most travel plans to a region where you are not planning to stay for an extended length of time that there will be no required shots and any precautions you choose to take will be fully at your discretion. On a cruise, you are staying in a region for usually less than 12 hours before moving on so you shouldn't find anything that is "required." :) Unless you have been someplace where there is yellow fever and they will want you to be immunized so you don't bring it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmr923 Posted March 17, 2010 #10 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I just spoke with a friend who is an infectious disease doctor (i.e., someone who specializes in the treatment of diseases such Hepatitis, malaria, dengue, etc.) today. I advised him of the countries in question, and of the length of time of my planned "exposure" to these countries. He said that he definitely recommended taking an anti-malarial medication, but noted that these areas do not have the "resistant" strain of malaria, so he wrote the prescription for Chloroquine phosphate 500 mg, which is a med you don't have to take every day for lots of days like the more aggressive meds they use to treat malaria. A pill a week for a few weeks - sounds easy! The CDC website clearly indicates they recommend immunization for Hepatitis A and B, as well as Typhoid for all four countries on the Legend itinerary, as well as malaria for Roatan and areas of Belize. Do a lot of people go to these places and not get sick? Of course. Do people not get the flu shot in the US and they don't end up getting the flu? Every year there are tons I'm sure. But why take the chance? Malaria can be a potentially dangerous disease, depending on your pre-existing medical conditions and your age. I was reading another thread on here that was started (and ended) in December of last year, and on that thread several people posted that they DID get malaria after trips, or felt very ill, and wished they had received innoculation. One woman said she was in the hospital for a while due to malaria. Try searching with malaria (I think that's how I found it). Do I think the CDC goes a little over board in their recommendations sometimes? Yes, I do. But my doctor said he had knowledge of the malaria outbreaks in these countries, himself (he is Yale med school educated and he has spoken to congress about AIDS - is a nationally known physician), so I'm going with his recommendation and taking anti-malarial drugs. Had I not gotten immunizations for a 4 day trip to Guatemala 2 years ago, I'd also be signing up for the immunizations, too. Why take the risk, I say? They're really not that expensive, and they last for a while (3 years for Typhoid vaccine - I think Hep A&B is 10 years)! You can take more trips to more interesting places without worrying! :) Happy worry-free (and illness free) traveling everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmr923 Posted March 17, 2010 #11 Share Posted March 17, 2010 You generally have to go to specialized travel medicine company who will know the most up-to-date CDC and WHO recommendations on where your are traveling, what diseases are endemic to the region, and what precautions are suggested. Here in Florida, at least, all the county Health Departments offer travel immunizations as a service to the public for very reasonable fees (much much cheaper than the private "travel doctor" clinics!). Anyone thinking about getting immunized should check with their local health department first. The health department I've been to is very up to date on the outbreaks in each country and the latest CDC requirements. Also, many of the new CVS Minute Clinic offices offer hepatatis A, B, and typhoid vaccines at reasonable prices. Don't know how up to date they are on the requirements, but their prices are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmr923 Posted March 17, 2010 #12 Share Posted March 17, 2010 And one last observation, before I get off my soapbox: DEET will not protect you against typhoid which is borne through contaminated food and water, not mosquitos. Same for Hepatitis A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okwriter Posted March 17, 2010 #13 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Thank you for sharing what your found out from your friend! You're right...the possibility may be low, but it is something people should discuss with their doctor, especially if there is an underlying health condition. My sister owns a home in St. Thomas, and she thought was going to DIE a few years ago from dengue fever. I'll be sure to take insect repellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David-n-Rita Posted March 17, 2010 #14 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I just spoke with a friend who is an infectious disease doctor (i.e., someone who specializes in the treatment of diseases such Hepatitis, malaria, dengue, etc.) today. I advised him of the countries in question, and of the length of time of my planned "exposure" to these countries. He said that he definitely recommended taking an anti-malarial medication, but noted that these areas do not have the "resistant" strain of malaria, so he wrote the prescription for Chloroquine phosphate 500 mg, which is a med you don't have to take every day for lots of days like the more aggressive meds they use to treat malaria. A pill a week for a few weeks - sounds easy! The CDC website clearly indicates they recommend immunization for Hepatitis A and B, as well as Typhoid for all four countries on the Legend itinerary, as well as malaria for Roatan and areas of Belize. Do a lot of people go to these places and not get sick? Of course. Do people not get the flu shot in the US and they don't end up getting the flu? Every year there are tons I'm sure. But why take the chance? Malaria can be a potentially dangerous disease, depending on your pre-existing medical conditions and your age. I was reading another thread on here that was started (and ended) in December of last year, and on that thread several people posted that they DID get malaria after trips, or felt very ill, and wished they had received innoculation. One woman said she was in the hospital for a while due to malaria. Try searching with malaria (I think that's how I found it). Do I think the CDC goes a little over board in their recommendations sometimes? Yes, I do. But my doctor said he had knowledge of the malaria outbreaks in these countries, himself (he is Yale med school educated and he has spoken to congress about AIDS - is a nationally known physician), so I'm going with his recommendation and taking anti-malarial drugs. Had I not gotten immunizations for a 4 day trip to Guatemala 2 years ago, I'd also be signing up for the immunizations, too. Why take the risk, I say? They're really not that expensive, and they last for a while (3 years for Typhoid vaccine - I think Hep A&B is 10 years)! You can take more trips to more interesting places without worrying! :) Happy worry-free (and illness free) traveling everyone! We are nurses and there is no current CDC recommendations for re-vaccination after your Hep A and B vaccine series - no boosters required at this time. There is something else not mentioned and that is a PPD test for TB a month after you come back. TB is wide spread in these countries and it is an airborne disease. Anyone cruising on a regular basis should get tested, after each cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankandteri Posted March 17, 2010 #15 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I'll be on this same itinerary in May and don't have any plans to take anti-malarial drugs with me. I had to take them on a couple of trips to third world backwaters within the last few years, and I don't like the side effects. To be fair, the anti-malarial drug I was taking was much stronger than the choroquinine that MMR mentions. I spent a week in Belize with a big group a year ago. None of us took anti-malarials and nobody had problems. Tonic water contains quinine, so have a few G&Ts and you should be good to go. I'm not a doctor and don't even play one on TV, but everyone should be up to date on their tetanus shots at a minimum, especially if you're going to visit less developed countries. Most big cities have travel clinics. By all means go to one if you're at all nervous or if you have a compromised immune system. The doctors at the one here in Birmingham pull out maps of the countries you'll be visiting and vaccinate you based on the parts of those countries you'll go to and how long you'll be there. For my last jungle trip, it was a crazy long list of shots and pills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerla Posted March 17, 2010 Author #16 Share Posted March 17, 2010 And one last observation, before I get off my soapbox: DEET will not protect you against typhoid which is borne through contaminated food and water, not mosquitos. Same for Hepatitis A. Thanks for all of your research. Some very good advice. I worked in the health care field so have had my hepatitis series. See you in 3 weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.