Vaccine requirements for world cruisers

[deblen]

If you go "under-vaccinated" & catch one of these diseases & survive long enough to bring it home & spread it ??????
Len

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

First of all I would call into a specialist Travel doctor clinic or similar and they should have the full suite of countries and mandatory and recommended vaccinations and prophylactics (like Malaria). After that it is your choice. For me personally I have had vaccines for Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Cholera, Tetanus, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Covid amongst a few others, and used anti-malarials when in those countries with a problem. I would consider too a Rabies vaccine now available. Various buddies of mine in exotic places have been bitten by monkeys and dogs, contracted Malaria, amoebic dysentery (no vaccine yet), Hepatitis, ciguatera (no vaccine), and many with Covid.. and that is just a small sample!

Good advice TinTin, I’ve had most of those and the news of a vax for rabies is a welcome surprise, a friend of mine was bitten by a cat in Thailand at around the same time and place where a whole family died as a result of being bitten by one of a pair of rabietic pet rabbits that were bought at a local market. The course of injections for the treatment/prevention of rabies is quite horrible.
I worked in the gulf of papua and on a fly out to Cairns a GP prescribed Larium as a malaria prophylactic, this went very badly. 6 months after leaving PNG I was admitted to hospital with a form of cardiac arrythmia and a pulse so rapid that my blood was inadequately oxygenated...... so intensive care for 2 weeks and finally, multiple cardioversions but no diagnosis until later during a second medical crisis and a diagnosis by an MSF doctor who nailed it as being a side effect of Larium.... no cure but I finally grew out of it about 10 years later. Apparently the US military used Larium at some point with far more serious side effects than cardiac arrythmia.

[Shrew]

https://www.traveldocs.com/travel-se...n-requirements

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

I’ve had most of those and the news of a vax for rabies is a welcome surprise, a friend of mine was bitten by a cat in Thailand at around the same time and place where a whole family died as a result of being bitten by one of a pair of rabietic pet rabbits that were bought at a local market. The course of injections for the treatment/prevention of rabies is quite horrible.

The vax for rabies is not the same as others in that it does not fully protect you but delays the onset until further boosters can be administered. The boosters are just that so no need for RIG which is the horrible treatment you referred to.

[Traumerei]

Prior to starting the World ARC in 2020. The ARC provided us with a very detailed list of all the various country requirements a recommendations. I suggest reaching out to them. I’m sure it’s something they update regularly.

[SV Coronado]

What part of the world are you asking about?

To date, I've sailed as far east as Croatia, as far south as Grenada, and as far north as the US, and I've never been asked for vaccinations. At least for the Northern Atlantic, you should be fine.

[nofacey]

A decent summary of illnesses & risks by location:
https://www.noonsite.com/health-precautions-worldwide/

We circumnavigated, finishing just as covid hit - so covid aside, we only ever had to prove to have yellow fever vaccinations in a handful.

Not sure where you’re thinking of traveling to…..but guessing that you’re North American, you might want to consider that your unvaccinated loved ones are safe due to previous generations having largely dealt with the major killers/cripplers - and once you travel into truly interesting remote locations, you’re also outside the safe zone, exposing them.
People forget that through the 50’s into the 60’s, the child mortality rate IN THE US was 25%……there’s sadly still third world countries in the double digits today.

You really need to pick and choose where you take those loved ones.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by lift

Ok I'm thinking I must not have made myself clear (a common occurrence).

I'm wondering about requirements, not recommendations.

I know it's hard to talk in generalities about it, so I was really hoping to stumble on someone else out there doing it sans vax.

To be fair, asking about vaccination requirements worldwide is a big ask. Also, considering what we just recently went through, answers would be fluid.

Throw in some cruising objectives, including times and destinations, and you'll have better answers from the experienced cruisers here, including what areas to skip/avoid being sans vax

[Captain Red]

In general check out the CDC's website for requirements. There was a time when you couldn't re-enter the USA from a country that has Yellow Fever without proof of vaccination. Many (most) countries have WHO clinics that will often inoculate you for much less cost (sometimes free) than your local travel clinic. So if you figure out you need a vaccination for your next country, there are usually local options. Personally, I got jabbed up with everything except rabies because of where we are traveling. I skipped rabies ($1,500+ per jab) only because I was going to be more than 72 hours from help in any case. Good Luck!

[away again]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

The number of countries that require a yellow fever vaccine and for who, is easy to determine. I attached the link above in this thread that has those REQUIREMENTS. Maybe you missed it. If you still can't find a list of countries that require a yellow fever vaccine and when, let me introduce you to Mr Google.

Traveling without a yellow fever vaccine is easy, you just avoid traveling to countries that always require it, and avoid traveling between countries where it is required when traveling in that sequence. I am not sure why you find this difficult.

If you are asking how do you evade the requirements and travel to places that will require you have it, then you'll have to figure that out on your own. I hope you can not. Cruisers who feel that they are above local laws are a huge problem, not just for themselves, but they poison the well for those coming after. Just follow the rules.

Yellow fever is deadly serious. It is about 30% fatal in humans. In countries that have a population of vector mosquitos, and mammals that can act as reservoirs of the virus, eliminating it after it gets a foothold is extremely difficult and expensive both in money and human lives. Countries like that should, and do, take vaccines rules for incoming travelers very seriously and it is why they are going to be extremely intolerant of "alternative" views on vaccines.

If a specific country has rules about vaccines or any other issues which with you disagree, just do not go there. You do not have a "right" to travel into any other country. Every country has the legal right to refuse you entry for any reason they care to make up.

Well said.

A social licence is required to function as an individual in a society.


Another way to look at loopholes is that they can lasso you and become nooses.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

The vax for rabies is not the same as others in that it does not fully protect you but delays the onset until further boosters can be administered. The boosters are just that so no need for RIG which is the horrible treatment you referred to.

I can vouch for it being horrible.. 12 shots in the stomach over 12 days.
I was bitten when I broke up a dog fight, my Hienz vs a German Shepard.. it was the Shepard that bit my arm, she let go pretty quick when she realised what she'd done.
But this being in Pakistan my parents did not bother waiting but started the treatment the same day.
I may only have been 10yrs old but after the first shot it was a case of being held down by three men for the remaining 11 shots.. sheer agony.
I assume nothings changed.. sadly they put Juno down.

[poiu]

How awful! Is it still that bad?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by poiu

How awful! Is it still that bad?

Just looked it up.. seems a lot less like torture these days.
My experience was 65yrs ago..

Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and rabies vaccine given on the day of the rabies exposure, and then a dose of vaccine given again on days 3, 7, and 14. For people who have never been vaccinated against rabies previously, postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) should always include administration of both HRIG and rabies vaccine. The combination of HRIG and vaccine is recommended for both bite and non-bite exposures, regardless of the interval between exposure and initiation of treatment.

[poiu]

And stomach injections?!!!!!

[SailingHarmonie]

It is worth noticing that the OP has disappeared once it became obvious that the consensus of this group was that he should just comply with the rules on vaccines and there was no way to avoid it

I suspect he is off trying to find some other place on the internet with more sympathy to his cause to tell him he is a good person who can just ignore rules that he disagrees with.