alc13 Posted December 21, 2018 #1 Share Posted December 21, 2018 CDC (US) recommends typhoid and Hep A vaccines, but they are not typically covered by health insurance. I'm curious to know if those of you who explored on your own got vaccinated, or have any other perspective to offer. I know from past experience that CDC can be conservative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cary Cruiser Posted December 22, 2018 #2 Share Posted December 22, 2018 We went on a cruise to Cuba stopping in Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santiago. There were 684 passengers on the ship, and over 10 days we spoke to quite a few of them. No one mentioned anything about any vaccinations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare broberts Posted December 22, 2018 #3 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Generally the CDC recommendations are for people spending more than a few hours in country. You might want to check with your primary care or other physician familiar with your medical history. There may be risk factors that affect the desirability of either vaccination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langoustine Posted December 23, 2018 #4 Share Posted December 23, 2018 You can get Hep A anywhere in the world, including here in the US. Typhoid seems less likely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseNovice2013 Posted December 26, 2018 #5 Share Posted December 26, 2018 We contacted our doctor and she recommended that we both get the Hep A vaccine. She also realized I needed the MMR vaccine, and my husband needed TDAP. She said we could get the typhoid vaccine if we wanted, but it would need to be ordered and then we'd have to return every other day for a series of four shots. Our schedule before we leave won't allow for that, so we skipped it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted December 28, 2018 #6 Share Posted December 28, 2018 We spent four days in Cuba. Did not think about or hear a single word about vaccines. Not needed IMO. Typhoid especially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langoustine Posted December 29, 2018 #7 Share Posted December 29, 2018 (edited) Hep A is very, very common all over the world. All you have to do is eat once in a restaurant where someone who has the disease is involved in your food preparation and hasn't washed their hands. According to the CDC, the yearly odds of being infected with hepatitis A in the United States are one in 83,330. There are other ways to get it, including ways one would probably never expect: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/outbreaks/2016/hav-strawberries.htm Edited December 29, 2018 by Langoustine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiser 4 Life 66 Posted January 3, 2019 #8 Share Posted January 3, 2019 You do not need any vaccines before going to Cuba. You have as much a chance getting Hep A there as in Florida, and typhoid? Please. Who hears of anyone getting that? From the CDC: About 300 people get typhoid fever in the United States each year, and most of these people have recently traveled. There are 325 million people in the USA. Do the odds. You have a better chance of dying in a car crash on the way to the ship than getting typhoid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alc13 Posted January 3, 2019 Author #9 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Well, I disagree with your statistical interpretation. Obviously travel increases the risk, based on the figures you quoted. And travel to a region where typhoid exists (eg Cuba) increases the risk further. The more relevant question is by how much. We traveled to Asia a few years ago and got the malaria vaccine or prophylactic, I forget which. A German passenger scoffed at that, saying that malaria was easily treated. The European health authority apparently is more relaxed than our CDC about malaria risk. However, we're fine on Hep A - our vaccinations are current. As for typhoid, we'll forego another vaccination and just be sensible on the few occasions when we eat ashore. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judytata11 Posted January 3, 2019 #10 Share Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) I always get whatever my local travel clinic recommends but usually I do 2-3 week land trips. Not sure what they would say for a stop over of a few of hours. They are the authority on this subject, they follow CDC recommendations, it is best to check with them. BTW, there are 22 million cases of typhoid reported each year around the world and 200,000 deaths. Edited January 3, 2019 by judytata11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alc13 Posted January 4, 2019 Author #11 Share Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) "22 million cases of typhoid reported each year around the world and 200,000 deaths" Interesting numbers. The risk is real, outside of developed areas. They (CDC) go on to say the vaccine is only 50-80% effective, and offer these guidelines: Eat safe foods: Eat Food that is cooked and served hot Hard-cooked eggs Fruits and vegetables you have washed in clean water or peeled yourself Pasteurized dairy products Don't Eat Food served at room temperature Food from street vendors Raw or soft-cooked (runny) eggs Raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish Unwashed or unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables Peelings from fruit or vegetables Condiments (such as salsa) made with fresh ingredients Salads Unpasteurized dairy products ”Bushmeat” (monkeys, bats, or other wild game) Drink safe beverages: Drink Bottled water that is sealed (carbonated is safer) Water that has been disinfected (boiled, filtered, treated) Ice made with bottled or disinfected water Bottled and sealed carbonated and sports drinks Hot coffee or tea Pasteurized milk Don't Drink Tap or well water Ice made with tap or well water Drinks made with tap or well water (such as reconstituted juice) Flavored ice and popsicles Unpasteurized milk Fountain drinks Edited January 4, 2019 by alc13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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