Job Discussion Forums

[JPM]

Hi

'Hoping you LA guys / gals can help me out.

I'm a 38yo UK citizen currently teaching in Krakow, Poland. I have an English degree, a PGCE (UK state teaching qual) and three years' ESOL/EFL experience.

I shall be travelling around and generally 'checking out' LA for a month or two this summer and, if I like it, I may well stay. ( I don't know which particular country yet, but I'll look into that.)

I'm really wondering what I need to do regards visas (both as a tourist and as a potential resident), innoculations etc. If I can be as prepared as poss. then I'll have all my options open if I want to stay!

Cheers for any help.

John

[MELEE]

If you are considering Mexico. Get your university degree Apostilled (at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London) before heading over.

You don't need any immunizations, but I personally think some are a good idea ( like Hep A/B which are a series so take time to complete.).

[lozwich]

[snorklequeen]

a Mexican couple i know suggested, if you are going to go into rural areas, to get (1) a tuberculosis test and whatever immunization is available for that, and (2) a typhoid shot

the wife lived most of her life in Mexico and actually got typhoid from taking a sponge bath using river water dipped in a cup from the river, when she was on a missions trip way, way out in the boonies

to add to Loz's list

cheers,

Queenie

[lozwich]

[JPM]

Thanks all: all good advice!

Of course, I shall have as many innoculations as I can during my time remaining. But, if I read your comments aright, I should be able to enter any LA country without proof of any particular innoculation, hmm?

What about visas? Is it ok for me to just turn up with a valid passport and a smile? Or do you need to enter LA countries with a certain amount of cash or bank statement also, to show that you can take care yourself?

Any comments, as always, gratefully received!

John

[danielita]

[lozwich]

There are also places within Colombia that you need the yellow fever certificate to get in and out of.

[JZer]

[snorklequeen]

a missionary friend in Cuernavaca just emailed me -- he has typhoid, has had it for 3 months and is improving; he still has terrible headaches though and can't get rid of them

he never got the typhoid immunization

he is a US citizen who has lived all over the world; he's lived in Cuern for the last few years in a nice part of the city; he does work with a group that lives on the edges of a landfill/dump so perhaps he picked it up in that area

pls. do take typhoid seriously -- this is 2 people i know that have reported this to me in the last 2 months

Queenie Mom

[misteradventure]

The UK Foreign Office should have traveller's advisories on their website, if not, the Yanks do: www.state.gov

It is advisable to get your shots before you go, as healthcare is cheap, but not what you may be used to... and infectious diseases are on the rise. There is a TB series that was mandatory in Scandinavia some years back, then they discontinued it. Having had TB, I recommend the shots.

Also, you might want to get some chloroquine if you are going into malaria-infested areas. I had bad experiences with mefloquine and Lariam.

Malaria sucks as well.

If you need an English speaking physician in Krakow, send me a PM.

[danielita]

[lozwich]

[Justin Trullinger]

There are several strains of malaria running around our dear continent just now- Chloroquine, though extremely effective against the "original," is not much good against some of the new variants. Lariam is more so, said to be extremely good. But, it has psychotropic side effects in some users. Serious ones. Mood swings, depression, psychosis, and I've heard about halucinations and paranoia. I don't know how frequent these are, but they're worrying. It's one of the most effective antimalarials available, though, and malaria sucks. So it's probably a question of evaluating risk factors, probabilities, and coming to the "lesser of two evils" kind of decision.

I am, however, an actor turned EFL teacher. If you're thinking about taking something as a malaria prevention, for god's sake talk to a doctor! A good doctor, with experience in malaria and tropical diseases, familiar with the area you're going to, and what malarial rates and varieties are present there.

Personally, I've been in some reportedly malarial areas, and have always got by with good mosquito precautions, but I wasn't staying long, either.


Best,
Justin

[MO39]

Hi Justin,

What are the chances of catching malaria in Quito and the Ecuadorian Andean region, in general?

MO