Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alwynjo]

Hi

Just wondering what vaccinations/shots people got before going to Korea? and does anyone know if it is possible to get a Hepatitis B shot anywhere in Korea?

Thank you [/code]

[tzechuk]

There are no special requirements and yes, you can get hep B shots in korea... just go to any doctor and get tested for hep B immune first.. then they will give you shots.

In fact, this country worries about hep b so much that the first jab they give baby immediately after birth is hep b.

[canadian_in_korea]

Before I came to Korea my doctor recommended that I have both Hep A ( it wouldn't hurt to have this in your own country as its easy to catch from what I understand) and Hep B. She also recommended that I make sure my tetnus and MMR were up to date. I had always assumed that the shots I had in school were all I needed.....but she told me that you need another shot of measles, mumps, rubella to be vaccinated for life. Just as a side note I received an email that there has been a small outbreak of meningitus in China and people traveling to/from China from Korea are being warned that there is NO vaccine in Korea for meningitus. I guess just make sure all your vaccinations are up to date and you should be fine. The Hep A and B are definately a good idea though.

[quiksilver]

I got the Hep A & B combination one. It makes your arm stiff for an hour or so afterwards. I also took Typhoid pills (I think that's what they were). I got a Japanese Encephilitis shot too. I don't remember exactly but I think it has something to do with mosqitoes. I got A Tetanus shot too just for fun since I was there .

[alwynjo]

quiksilver - did you get your hep a&b combo shot before you went or in Korea?

[OiGirl]

I would think a bare minimum would be Hep B, Hep A, and tetanus, but that has a lot to do with my lifestyle. There was a measles outbreak among children in Korea in 2000. The shots you got as a kid may have lost their effectiveness. Has anyone gotten an adult DPT booster?

[canadian_in_korea]

my first trip to korea I had a flu shot, hep A and some kind of booster ( I think it was mmr) all in the same day. This time before I came i waited too long to get the Hep B...so i thought....but the doctor gave me rapid dose....3 shots in 21 days....the only problem I had was the nurse who gave me the last shot stuck the needle in the wrong place and broke a blood vessel or something....it swelled up and was hot for a few days....then bruised...but I didn't have to have the shot again.. What you might think about is how much the cost is...? maybe someone knows how much each vaccination (with hep B you need 3...hep A is only 1 with a follow up ...i think 6 months later) is in Korea. For both in Canada I paid over $200 plus I had to pay to have the shot given. Maybe its a little cheaper in Korea...? Does anyone know?

[tzechuk]

I think I paid 20,000 per hep b? Something like that.. not very expensive.

[canadian_in_korea]

wow...20,000 per shot..? I paid almost that just to have the nurse give me the shot.. It always surprises me how somethings are really cheap here in korea....and somethings are sooo expensive. My husband went to get a mouth guard made here...it was going to cost 400,000 won.. ....in nova scotia you can get the same thing for $150 (top and bottom). Soooo we told them not to bother making them. We can wait until we get to canada....

[quiksilver]

[davyteacher]

I would just go to the doctor and say I`m goign to Korea, look at my history and what fo I need. My doctor briefly checked out the website on S Korea and said what I needed (which I got polio drops, Hep B (x2 over six months, I think?, booster which were all free, NHS is great )

But I also would advise the Flu jab because the flu is an absolute killer when you get it here, and your director is a pain in the *boop* when taking days off.

Good luck