When beginning to research immunizations, travelers get frustrated quickly. There’s a lot of information out there, and it all seems pretty conflicting. That’s because this isn’t a black and white situation, and everyone has their own opinions on the matter. All travelers have to make their own individual decisions about things like immunizations and travel insurance, so the best thing we can do is offer the information necessary to make those decisions.
Deciding Which Shots To Get
This is perhaps the biggest decision to make, and it’s rather confusing. Hepatitis A and B are the only nearly universal shots that most all travelers need. After that, it’s all a matter of where you are going and how much of a risk you want to take.
Some countries say they require proof of certain immunizations to enter, but not all of them routinely ask for this proof. Some sources recommend certain new jabs for certain areas that hadn’t required them in the past. Since most of these are very expensive and the landscape is continually changing, it’s good to do some up-to-the-minute research.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has up-to-date information on its website for every country on earth. This is a great source of information about each country’s health risks and requirements, but these sorts of government departments are usually overly cautious and will tell you to get everything, which may not be necessary. There might be a health warning for a country because one small jungle area has had trouble in the past few years, but meanwhile the cities and most of the rest of the country remain safe.
There are some interesting threads on this subject on the BootsnAll message boards in both the RTW section and the Health and Travel section, plus several articles about the subject.
The Rabies Debate
The rabies vaccine is extremely expensive, probably the most expensive shot you’ll consider. Though not necessary to enter any country, it is usually one that doctors and guidebooks recommend. When traveling in developing areas of the world, you’ll come across street dogs and other animals often when wandering around. Areas like Southeast Asia and India also have monkeys wandering in very public places, and while you may think monkeys are cute and funny now, wait until you’ve been scowled and lunged at by one.
Getting bitten by a rabid animal is a real possibility, and while you can do certain things to prevent this possibility, sometimes no precaution can help from getting bitten. The debate comes in after you get bitten. Even if you have the vaccine, you still must get to a hospital for another series of shots. So the question is, “Why spend over a thousand dollars at home for a vaccine that will not really prevent the disease?”
That’s a great question and why so many travelers struggle with this dilemma. It’s almost certainly going to be much cheaper to get the shots wherever an incident may occur, so waiting and taking your chances may be the best bet. What the vaccine does is buy you more time. You don’t have to panic and get to a hospital immediately (though you don’t want to wait too long). If you plan on working, volunteering, or traveling in remote areas where the risk of getting bitten is high, then getting the vaccine is probably a good idea. If sticking mostly to cities and towns, it might be worth it to take the risk. It’s all up to each individual.
Getting Shots At Home vs. On The Road
These things tend to be very expensive in the country where you probably live, but usually much less so in some of the countries you’ll probably visit. Do your research. If your government or insurance plan will cover much of the cost it should be a pretty easy decision; however, if you are paying it all out of pocket you might consider getting some of the more expensive jabs done on the road.
Obviously any jab you might need to gain entry into one of your first countries is not up for discussion, but if you are heading to a few countries on your way to places where you’ll eventually need them, you might consider getting them on the road. Of course some of the jabs have a series, so it’s necessary to start well in advance, so again, do your research. Any large city is going to have professional health clinics you can trust, and if they are near countries that require certain immunizations these clinics will be ready for you.
If you decide not to risk it and get them all at home, then make sure you do your homework and shop around. Prices vary wildly, and some insurance companies will actually cover certain immunizations, so make sure you check. After checking with your insurance, go see your primary care doctor and a travel doctor to get their respective opinions, then ask them both their prices. Check with city and county health clinics as well.
Malaria Meds
Reading and researching malaria meds can cause a massive headache. There’s so many different pills to take, and some only work in some parts of the world. For instance, one malaria med may work against the disease in Southeast Asia, but that same pill won’t work in Africa. It’s frustrating and confusing, and while there is a relatively new pill that works everywhere, it’s typically most expensive.
Malaria meds are also typically sold by the pill, and most programs require travelers to take them at least a week before entering a malaria zone and up to a month after leaving one. That’s a lot of pills, and for something that is so expensive, it really adds up. Consider getting a base amount of pills before leaving, especially if your first stop is in a malaria zone. Once in a different country, it is possible to get more pills there for much less than at home. Just make sure you do your research and know that you can get more there.
BootsnAll has tons of resources explaining malaria and anti-malaria pills, so make sure you read up for a more thorough breakdown on this important issue.
Planning In Advance
Getting on the ball with immunizations is crucial as some are a series of shots over several months. So don’t wait until the last minute to do this. You want to start researching and making doctors visits more than 6 months in advance of your departure. Hep A shots are given in a series 6 months apart in order to be most effective, so be aware of this and get on it!
Once you get your immunizations taken care of, it’s time to turn to travel insurance, another aspect of long term travel that no one likes to research and talk about. It’s confusing, frustrating, and can be expensive, but it’s another necessary part of travel.
Immunizations Checklist
- Start the process early, more than six months before your departure
- Research which shots are necessary for the regions you are visiting
- Research which shots are recommended for the regions you are visiting
- Start compiling a list
- Go see your primary care physician and/or a travel doctor
- Check with your insurance company to see if they cover any of the immunizations
- Shop around for the best prices-your doctor, travel clinics, city and county health clinics, hospitals-make a call to all of them
- Make an educated, informed decision on debated vaccinations like rabies
- Start making appointments-remember that shots like Hepatitis are done in a series, 6 months apart
- Get your shots, put your proof in a safe place, preferably with your passport
