Immunizations China-VietNam

[JACKHAWK]

Did any of the people on this March 2013 cruise need immunizations for the trip?

[RachelG]

You definitely need hep A and B. hopefully you have already had those, but if not, get started now.

[Travelcat2]

No immunizations really needed if you are up to date. Checked CDC -- here are the links:

 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnam

 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/china

[findacruise]

We did not get any special shots for our trip. We were up to date with the regularl ones such as flu, DTAP. Did not get hepatitis shots. If your immune system is compromised in any way, you should check with your own doctor for advise.

[Travelcat2]

"RachelG" is a doctor -- I would heed her advice:)

[RachelG]

Actually everyone, whether traveling or not, should get the hepatitis A and B immunizations. Once done with the series of three, you are covered for life. And we still hear of someone getting hepatitis at their local cafe. Unnecessary as it is completely preventable now days.

[RachelG]

Just checked the CDC recs, and they rec typhoid immunization for Vietnam. This is one that is not lifelong. You can do either shot or pills. George and I have had to do twice, for both our trips to Peru, and it is easy. Would rather be safe than sorry.

[findacruise]

Actually everyone, whether traveling or not, should get the hepatitis A and B immunizations. Once done with the series of three, you are covered for life. And we still hear of someone getting hepatitis at their local cafe. Unnecessary as it is completely preventable now days.

 

Thanks for the info. If this is the case, why don't our PCPs recommend it?I plan to discuss on my next visit to mine.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We'll be in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia in February, and I'm thinking we'll get Twinrix (Hep A and B). And probably Ducoral, for traveller's diarrhea, although the latter is only available in Canada I believe. It's an oral vaccine.

[RachelG]

Thanks for the info. If this is the case, why don't our PCPs recommend it?I plan to discuss on my next visit to mine.

 

Some PCP's aren't that interested in travel medicine.

[RachelG]

Wendy, had to look up Ducoral. It is effective for prevention of enterotoxic E. coli as well as cholera, but it is not available in the US. For those in the US, I rec taking a supply of Cipro just in case.

[forevertravel]

We were on the Beijing to Bangkok cruise in March 2013 and didn't get any immunizations. None, are required but if you wish to get Hepatitis A&B it doesn't hurt. I asked our doctor but it was a month before the trip and he said we needed to start earlier. We never ate any street food. We ate on the ship, the Regent lunches/dinners during tours, and had dinner on our own one night in Beijing at a restaurant in the mall next to hotel. We didn't have any problems and always felt great. It's up to you and your doctor whether to get shots.

 

Forevertravel:)

[alexandra cruiser]

Wendy, had to look up Ducoral. It is effective for prevention of enterotoxic E. coli as well as cholera, but it is not available in the US. For those in the US, I rec taking a supply of Cipro just in case.

 

and my Internist looked up the strain of e coli for Vietnam and said a Z pack would be best.Know its a toss up about taking as a preventative(but have had history of this problem in quite a few 3rd world countries).

We took it and were one of the few on river cruise that did NOT get sick.2 had to be hospitalized,in fact and missed 2 days.Was luxury ship and hotels too.Plus, very careful what we ate and drank.

If you have similar concerns,talk to your Dr. and weigh risks vs benefit.

Just my 2 cents.;)

[Keith1010]

I never think it is a good idea for anyone to be giving medical advice about immunizations on Cruise Critic or for that matter to people you know.

 

I would highly recommend that you see a travel medical specialist. I say this because my experience having traveled extensively for business was that most regular physicians are not well versed in this area. Many will suggest you visit the CDC web side which does have good information but I think in the end a discussion with a travel medical professional is the way to go. Why? Because you need to talk through not only your itinerary, but other factors need to be taken into consideration including what current if any medication you are taking.

 

There are various places that specialize in travel medicine. This is one of them which we have used.

 

http://www.passporthealthusa.com

 

Keith

[TedC]

I trust Rachel's advice - she is a MD and is very well traveled! And as you said, many of our family physicians are not very well versed in travel medicine.

 

Rachel has been VERY helpful for us Cruise Critics and we're thankful.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Rachel, thanks for your feedback on Ducoral. We intend to go to a travel clinic.

 

 

Alexandra, glad you did not get sick. I intend to be very careful.

[RachelG]

Thanks for the support guys. I definitely follow the CDC guidelines and do strongly recommend consulting a doctor who is at least interested in travel medicine. But sometimes people just want an opinion or an idea of where to go next here. That is what the board is for, and I am happy to help when possible.

 

About typhoid vaccine, I do recommend doing that for Vietnam and Cambodia. When we were in Peru, we met a guy whose travel partner came down with typhoid and had to be flown to Lima for emergency treatment. The vaccine is very easy to do.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Funny story about typhoid (two, actually).

 

When I was 21 I went backpacking to Europe for almost a year. This was 1970. I got a typhoid shot, and cholera. Seems funny now, but Europe was a different animal then.

 

In the late 70's we had a friend who travelled in China and came home with typhoid--she was pretty sick.

 

I had not thought about typhoid, but will add it to my list of questions when I book our appt. at the travel clinic.

[Keith1010]

Rachel, when I posted earlier I had actually not picked up on the fact that you are an MD. That is good to know and I want you to know that my post was more in response to others who are offering what I consider to be very well intentioned advice but I always caution people that I do think it is important to consult with a doctor who is not only well versed in travel medicine but someone who will go over their medical history with them. I hope that makes sense.

 

I know for example that my wife is now on certain medication that if someone did not take the time to ask her about that they might be recommending a couple of vaccinations for certain travel that she can no longer take.

 

Keith

[freddie]

Keith - I certainly agree with you that it is important to have a consultation with a travel medicine specialist with regard to one's specific medical history and situation, and even more so if one is going to an exotic destination. However, it is also quite useful to have some prior information regarding the destination in order to be able to discuss the trip with the travel doc more intelligently. In addition to the CDC website, another excellent travel site is that compiled by the Travel and International Health Team at Health Protection Scotland - "Fit for Travel".

 

(I tried to post a link; but it didn't work well. One can simply google or bing Fit for Travel to get to the website.)

 

The site has loads of useful information, including maps of malaria areas and the like. In fact, our travel clinic in Seattle uses Fit for Travel as a valuable resource in giving travel medicine advice.

 

Cheers, Fred

[Travelcat2]

I cannot resist posting the fact that we have been to places in the world where immunizations are suggested. We will be in China and Vietnam....... however, we will not be in the areas where immunizations are required. While I highly recommend speaking to your physician (who may or may not be familiar with traveling in the area), we know that Regent will not be in "iffy" areas and will not worry about it.

[RachelG]

No offense taken, Keith.

 

Travelcat, not worried at all about regent and on the ship. More off the ship is the concern, ESP food borne illness. And ESP since I like to try local foods, though I do definitely use common sense and avoid raw/undercooked meat and fish, raw fruits and veggies which might be contaminated, etc. I have a pretty cast iron stomach and rarely get sick, but it is wise to take precautions. Actually, the last food borne illness I had was about 15 years ago at Applebee's in South Carolina from some poorly cooked chicken. So not even anywhere exotic.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I read a blog somewhere that told me we should not eat seafood at all in Thailand. I will perhaps try some in Singapore, but not sure.

[Keith1010]

We are careful what we eat off the ship almost everywhere.

 

Singapore is by far the safest of most places around the world to eat. It's health standards are likely quite higher than say USA and Canada.

 

When it comes to Thailand remember not all places are created equally and that applies to anywhere you eat around the world. If say you eat at a very nice Hotel in Bangkok I would not worry about the fish.

 

Key for all these places is to have hot items from vegetables to seafood/poultry/beef and to be choosey about where you dine.

 

You can get sick anywhere and that includes your own home country and sometimes as good as you try something can go wrong.

 

A book that I think is a good edition for personal use for those who can get it at least in the USA is the Health Information for International Travel (Yellow Book).

 

http://www.amazon.com/Health-Information-International-Travel-2014/dp/0199948496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377191397&sr=8-1&keywords=health+information+for+international+travel

 

Keith

[forevertravel]

During our March cruise (Beijing to Bangkok) we had four tours where lunch was provided (Regent tours). These were in Shanghai, Hanoi, Saigon, and Bangkok. All restaurants were excellent and the food very good. No one got sick that I know of. These were all four/five stars restaurants. The lunch in Bangkok was at the Peninsula hotel and it was fabulous. We never ate street food because I don't trust it. We stayed in Bangkok for three additional days and had dinner at the hotel and restaurants recommended by Concierge. We had three days in Beijing with Regent. Again, they took us to good restaurants for lunch and one Peking Duck dinner (the food was passable). We ate on our own once while in Beijing at a restaurant by China World hotel. We did see food at markets that I wouldn't touch. We didn't have any vaccinations because it was not required by country or really recommended by CDC. Again, is something you should discuss with your doctor. We didn't buy or eat any fruit or vegetables outside of ship or reputable restaurants. Again, this is a wonderful cruise and Regent was great in everything.

 

Forevercruise