Korean Job Discussion Forums

capa21 · Joined: 03 Nov 2003

I'm going to Seoul in Janary so I thought I'd find out what shots I should get before my departure. I just got off the phone with the healh unit here in Ontario and all the shots I need come to a total $600. Is that right? Do most people get all these beforehand? I'm told it covers the encephalitis, hepatitis a, and a few other immunizations that are a good idea to get.

I guess the money isn't that important when you consider how much trouble these shots could save me from.

Anyone not gone through with all these?

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

The shots I got in Ontario in '96 before coming to Korea totalled around $45.

I know I didn't get all of them, but not sure which ones I did get, but I'm sure any travel clinic would be able to tell you which ones are crucial and which ones are not. In 5.5 years the worst thing I caught was a case of food poisoning, which none of these shots will protect you from. My opinion- you could get by without any of them except the Hepatitis shots, but that's your choice to make.

$600 sounds ridiculous- did you go to a dedicated travel clinic? Some of those shots may very well be superfluous and/or cheaper in Korea....

capa21 · Joined: 03 Nov 2003

I called the ministry of health clinic. My mom is a nurse so she looked into it for me and this is what she told me. Im sure, as you said, that some aren't necassary but it might be a good idea just incase. Better safe then sorry I guess.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

It sounds steep but I guess you don't have much of a choice now- it's the price you gotta pay for mom's piece of mind (and of course your own health, if you plan on visiting pig farms, perhaps).

I'd still recommend you give the Ministry of Health, their recommendations and their prices the heave-ho and find a dedicated TRAVEL CLINIC- you'll get up-to-date info from them as opposed to getting whatever bureaucrat at the ministry pulls out of the Korea file moldering in the basement.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

I'm puzzled why encephalitis always pops up on these lists (japanese encephalitis I presume). This year there were 3 reported cases, in a bad year its like 20. Thats out of 50,000,000 people. Pretty long odds I'd say.

peppermint · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:27 pm Post subject:

A co-worker recently suffered a near liver failure due to some "unknown" virus (they ruled out hepatitis). That's some seriously nasty stuff. She's fine now, but it was pretty damned scary for a while. I know I'm getting mine updated.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Getting your what updated? Is there a vaccine for unknown viruses now?

peppermint · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2003 11:29 am Post subject:

Why take chances? Said co-worker is also wondering if she can sue for malpractice as it took a month of visiting doctors for anyone to notice her liver trouble`

marcy · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

My travel clinic suggested encephalitis but said for the city it wasn't necessary and it ws 300.00 (Canadian). Here in Seoul the same vaccine is
about 40.00 Canadian. Check out the link below, but if you wait until you get here to get the Jap. B Encephalitis you'll save yourself a bunch...

http://www.internationalclinic.co.kr/us/clinic.htm

desultude · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:30 pm Post subject:

Be careful here in Korea getting vacinations. A friend of mine and I went to the International Clinic of our university hospital. We saw a family practitioner for hepatitus shots. We were very clear and specific about wanting it for food born hepatitus. We has the English speaking assistant explain in Korea and we did in English (he spoke passable English and clearly understood about food). He ended up giving us the first of a series of Hepatitus B, not A shots.

It didn't seem right, so we checked online, and of course it wasn't. We needed Hepatitus A vacine. I even had asked him if we didn't need A instead of B, and he was insistent, and even said they didn't have vacine for A. We contacted the international clinic, and they said we could get A.

Well, thats the long story. The short story is that I will be even more careful about where I get my medical care, and go armed even more carefully with information.