Job Discussion Forums

Canadian_Krista · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Ontario

Hello everybody,
I'm just wondering if anyone got immunized for anything before coming over or how useful it is. I made an appointment to talk with my dr. and told him about the places I'd like to travel in (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan...basically-as many places as I can get to in the time I'm over!) and they recommended about a million gazillion different shots for different potential illnesses-does anyone know how necessary these shots are? I ask because they're a lot of money-OHIP doesn't cover them. I have no problem spending the cash on them if they really are necessary-health is definately a priority to me (I'm pretty sure I'll get the hep A ones). Any thoughts?
Krista

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

I wouldn't bother with any of them personally. I'm not even sure which, if any, of those countries have the major tropical diseases?

Avoid street vendors, meat, don't drink tap water, and cover yourself in bug/mosquito repellent and you should be fine.

None of that applies in Japan which is as hygenic and germ free as it's possible to be.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Hep shots = bare minimum

If you'll be travelling to areas where malaria is endemic, may be good to bring along anti-malaria meds (even though they are really awful to take)...

Again, depending where and for how long, Yellow Fever may be a good one to have...

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I have done a lot of research into this, and travel health specialists tend to recommend Hep A, typhoid and updating your tetanus shots if you are going to be travelling in SE Asia, India and/ or China.

You don't need shots for Singapore, Japan and Taiwan, but Thailand and Malaysia are a bit more risky, and you can catch Hep A anywhere, I know people who have got it in their home countries. The typhoid shot is only available at a few international clinics in Japan and is quite expensive here, so that's best to get in your home country.

Typhoid is more prevalent in India, less so in SE Asia. A friend of mine came back from India with typhoid this year and spent weeks in hospital- you really don't want that one. Tetanus and Hep A vaccs are available here.

Yellow fever only if you plan to travel to certain parts of Africa and South America. If you plan to be mostly in Asia don't worry about this one. Also not really necessary are Hep B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis and cholera shots. (Hep B transmitted by infected body fluids so health workers etc are at risk, rabies only if you plan to spend a lot of time- 6 months plus- in very rural areas.)

In the well backpacked areas of SE Asia, India and China, anti-malarials are not strictly necessary, you are better off taking the measures mentioned above to avoid being bitten, and this will also help you avoid dengue fever, which has no vaccination or preventative medicine.

It's not really worth buying anti-malarials unless you know where you are going and for how long anyway, as the kind you need and the dosage depends on the area you will be going to and the time frame.

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

MrCAPiTUL · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 232 Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Out of curiousity, would your National Health Insurance in Japan cover your shots?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

My husband had shots for Hep A and tetanus at a normal Japanese clinic just this week and he says National health didn't cover it- he had to pay in full. About 15,000 for both.