Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Barefootbelle]

Is it better to get vaccinated before you get to Korea or after? My husband called the health department today and they said it would cost $822 for the 2 of us to get the vaccines we needed (without the cost for malaria, the woman at the dept didn't have that figure on hand) and they listed off a slightly different list than what I got from the CDC site. So��

Is it better/safer/cheaper to get the shots in Korea or in the US?

And where do I find out definitively what I need to get?

Thanks in advance. You guys are great.

[Grotto]

I got my hepatitis A shot for 46,000won(46$) and I cant remember what the hep B shot cost.

You dont need the Malaria shot

Hep A and B are the big ones and maybe a tetanus shot.

[sheba]

You can save money by getting HepA and HepB together (Twinrix) rather than separately. I went to a travel doctor and was advised to get Twinrix, Typhoid, Diptheria and Tetanus.

Ive heard its cheaper to get them here in Korea, but keep in mind some dont take effect until a few weeks after, and twinrix is a series of injections over a few weeks/months.

Besides, back home you can be sure therell be no communication difficulties etc

[Grotto]

I believe(could be wrong) that with twinrix your first injection is for hep A and 4 weeks later you get the injection for hep B

Am I wrong?

[astroboyfan]

In Twinrix all the injections are exactly the same so I doubt that the first is for Hep A exclusively.. as for malaria I thought it was pills and that you take them just before, during and a bit after you are in a possibly infectious area.

Trinrix cost me 168 canadian (for all three shots). I believe it is cheaper here..

[Barefootbelle]

Thanks guys! I'll look into Twinrex. I have a friend who's married to an infectious diseases dr so I can ask her. I'll ask about malaria pills too. If it's on a take as needed basis, then I should be able to pick them up there when in need, right?

What about Japanese Encephalitis? That's actually the most expensive one and the CDC didn't mention it.

And Yellow Fever? The CDC didn't list that one either, but the local health department did.

Actully, looking at this list, I wonder if the local wasn't just looking at a list that said "Asia." Instead of giving me more specific info for the correct region.

[astroboyfan]

Japanese Encephalitis is quite expensive. I considered getting it till I heard the price... it was like 650 canadian all together..

I had these as well Typhoid, Diptheria and Tetanus (I think that is all)

[blunder1983]

I had 3 hep b shots before i came to korea, and I was meant to have my last one on the 4/5th of July. I missed that date... do u think i'll be protected with the 3 shots or should i repeat the course?

[Grotto]

for traveling and finding out what vaccinations you actually need I highly recommend the CIA world fact book.

Just go to the CIA website and you can get up to date information about anything and everything about the country you are going to.

It is also 95% accurate....being wrong about WMD dropped their average way down

[sheba]

Aparently Japanese Encephalitis is only needed if you are staying in a rural area for more than a month.

Yellow fever is not required in South Korea, but there are countries that require this vaccination before you can enter the country.