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13-03-2008, 02:53
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Corpus Christi, TX (sometimes)
Boat: Endeavour40 - MOBETAH
Posts: 235
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Which vaccines would you need?
Yesterday, on my doctor's advice, I got a Zostavax 9 (shingles) vaccination and that got me thinking .... What shots or vaccines should the wife and I get before extended cruising in the western Caribbean (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, etc.)? Any advice or experiences from you cruisers or medical types out there would be appreciated.
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13-03-2008, 03:01
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#2
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cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,525
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mobetah
Yesterday, on my doctor's advice, I got a Zostavax 9 (shingles) vaccination and that got me thinking .... What shots or vaccines should the wife and I get before extended cruising in the western Caribbean (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, etc.)? Any advice or experiences from you cruisers or medical types out there would be appreciated. |
Many countries require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination as a requirement to entry.
My wife and I got vaccinations for:
Yellow Fever
Tetnus (update)
Hepatitis AB &C
Dengue Fever
When we traveled the area.
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13-03-2008, 04:14
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#3
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CF Adviser
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Virginia
Boat: Island Packet 380, now sold
Posts: 8,942
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Dengue Fever
I think the Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended only for Pamama. You might also consider a Typhoid vaccination. Malaria is an issue in some areas, as well. Best to consult a doctor who has some knowledge of tropical diseases.
I'm interested in Dengue Fever, because several of my friends here on Nevis have contracted it. It's a viral infection. There are four types, and contracting one does not immunize you to any of the other three. The most severe is Hemoragic Dengue Fever, which can be fatal.
The CDC says that there is no vaccine currently available for Dengue Fever.
"No dengue vaccine is available. Recently, however, attenuated candidate vaccine viruses have been developed. Efficacy trials in human volunteers have yet to be initiated. Research is also being conducted to develop second-generation recombinant vaccine viruses. Therefore, an effective dengue vaccine for public use will not be available for 5 to 10 years."
The best you can do is minimize risk of being bitten by the primary vector, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
__________________
Hud
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03-06-2008, 18:27
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 439
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South Pacific
Are there some recommendations for shots for the Fiji to Hawaii run?
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03-06-2008, 19:43
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Winnipeg
Boat: None at this time
Posts: 8,462
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Check with your local State/Provincial/Community health office, whatever it's called where you are. They will know or will be able to refer you to the correct place. Our local Regional Health Authority has a "Tropical Medicine Services" dept. where I went for my shots and prescription for malaria. I told them where I was going and they told me what was required and gave me the shots.
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03-06-2008, 22:24
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Cruising
Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only
Posts: 2,723
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On our circumnavigation, we got immunizations for yellow fever and tetanus, and that was it. We never took any antimalarial prophylaxis, although we did have some type of antimalarial on board just in case.
I don't remember a single country that ever asked for our immunization certificate.
Two of our crew got Dengue fever in Eritrea in the Red Sea. Dengue was the only significant infection that we ever had on board, and people got over it within a couple of weeks.
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03-06-2008, 22:29
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Cruising
Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only
Posts: 2,723
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The shingles vaccination is recommended for everyone over sixty years of age. It tweaks your immune system so that you hopefully never get shingles (caused by Herpes Zoster virus). The vaccination is probably a good idea. Herpes Zoster on the face can cause severe pain with late post-herpetic neuralgia that is incapacitating. And if the herpes zoster gets into your eye, you will be very sorry that you didn't get the vaccination. It's a real pain to treat ocular zoster.
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04-06-2008, 18:52
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 439
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Vaccinations
Thank you all!
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04-06-2008, 19:33
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: W Florida
Boat: Still have the 33yo Jon boat. But now a CATAMARAN. Nice little 18' Bay Cat.
Posts: 7,086
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ssullivan
Many countries require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination as a requirement to entry.
My wife and I got vaccinations for:
Yellow Fever
Tetnus (update)
Hepatitis AB &C
Dengue Fever
When we traveled the area.
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I don't think there is a vaccine for Hep C either.
If there was our hospitals would make it known to us....I would think.
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05-06-2008, 04:47
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#11
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,339
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“Twinrix” is a vaccine for both hepatitis A and hepatitis B. It combines two FDA-approved vaccines — Havrix, for hepatitis A, and Engerix-B, for hepatitis B.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis c.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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