Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ragna]

Hi,

I leaving for Korea at the end of the month to work for one year. I was a bit confused about vaccinations and wanted to hear from first hand experiences. Now the recommended vaccines (by my doctor) are Hep A, Typhoid, and Japanese Encephalitis. However, my docotr says it/s more of a precaution than a must and he says I can get them in Korea if I have Korean insurance through work (because they would cost over 400 here).

What have most of you done? Is possible to get them in Korea? Is that a good idea? Hep A is split up into 2 shots (6 months apart) so I would need the second one in Korea anyway. Hepatitis A and Typhoid are transmitted through food and water so that kind of makes me worried in term of how easily you can be exposed to it.

Any input is appreciated.

[tob55]

Depending on your location you can visit the local health center and they will provide you with vaccinations at a very reasonable cost. They are called (Po-gan-center) 보건 센터

They often offer some free services to foreigners, so it is best to look for the nearest center to your location once you arrive in the country. Hope you arrive safely and enjoy your time here.

As for the communicable disease concerns, there are lots of things people can catch anywhere in the world, so Korea is not necessarily a disease cesspool. You just need to be careful about where you go and who you are around. For example, when I was first in Korea 11 years ago, I worked in a technical high school, where the common past time for most students was spitting anywhere and everywhere they could. I made a point of looking where I walked since no place was sacred enough to be free of sputum. My second year at the high school we had two students that left school suddenly in the spring. I later discovered they had died from complications with TB. I knew then that it was in my best interest to watch out for my health.

Nothing more than that was of real concern health wise. Of course the outbreak of exotic diseases like MERS is going to impact places like Korea more than other locations in the world, but that is the place we live, so just be cautious.

[285285]

Hep A vaccination is available at private clinics (internal medicine - 내과). They might want to test if you have the antibody already, the blood test costs about 20,000 I think, then the vaccination itself costs more.

Someone mentioned the local health centres (보건소) Hep A isn't covered by those, at least not the one I went to. Hep B is available there, a little over 4,000 won. Hep B needs three courses, 0, 1 and 6 months. From what I've read of Hep B it's worth getting vaccination, particularly when it's so cheap. Typhoid vaccination (장티푸스) is cheaply available at the 보건소, less than 5,000.

Don't know about Japanese encephalitis.

Cholera and yellow fever vaccination are available at Incheon airport medical centre or specific major hospitals (국립 의료원). Not specially cheap, about 25,000 for each course. Those are for overseas travel, I'm not suggesting you need them to live in Korea - just for info.

Tetanus and dipheria vaccination are available at private clinics (I think) but are a bit cheaper at a govt run hospital (about 20,000 maybe?)

I did all this recently for some foreign travel (outside Korea). It took a good bit of moving around and explaining stuff in Korean.

[ragna]

Thank you both for the information. Especially 285285. You gave me exactly what I what I was looking for. 285285 were you living in Korea without those vaccinations? If so, for how long? If you don't mind me asking.

[285285]

Ragna, I lived here for years without vaccinations. I've travelled quite a bit around Asia too - no problems.

On the other hand when I first worked in Korea I replaced a teacher who'd had to return home early with some form of Hepatitus (don't remember what type). I heard from the other teachers that he'd gone from being a healthy looking young guy to someone who "looked half dead". In addition to hugely damaging his health it must have hit his finances badly too.

One of the doctors I talked to said Hep A was very common years back, and that many Koreans above a certain age (say 40 or so and above) had been exposed to it. Hygiene and public health has improved so younger generations don't tend to have Hep A antibody present. Maybe the disease becoming less common is the reason it's not available (subsidized) at public health centres, just privately. Just a guess, I'm no medical expert.

I asked my wife about Japanese encephalitis, she looked confused a second then asked "you mean the mosquito disease?" - I think she was correct, it's probably referred to as the mosquito disease informally. She said vaccination isn't cheap and doesn't last long. I don't know if that's actually correct, she's not a dr!

It's good that you got independent medical advice, I was too lazy to do that before coming - I reckon it's probably worth getting vaccinations, specially since you are worried enough to check it out.

I should have added, if anyone wants to get a vaccination at Incheon airport the payment method involves getting revenue stamps. The first time I did it I got a certificate from Shinhan bank (paid the money to Shinhan and they printed a document stating I'd paid the exact amount for the vaccination). That was a hassle, the clerk at the bank had some difficulty figuring out what he needed to do.

The second time I went I got stamps at the post office branch in the aiport, that was easier. The people in the post office know the cost for each vaccination, the price is set by the government.

The other places mentioned I just paid in cash / by card.

[Weigookin74]

I did get vaccinated several years ago in Canada for Hep A and B. It was twinrix that I got. (Hep A and B was combined in one shot.) I went to the VON (Victorian order of Nurses?) back home. I got one shot, then a month later another, then between 6 months to a year later another shot. I got many of the others, measles, mumps, reubella, tenus, diptheria, etc. I never did get Japanese encipilitas, polio booster, or others. Would be good if I traveled to another country though. Can you just get shots from the local government hospitals?