We have been to the family doctor today who is urging us to have a dozen different vaccinations.
Has anyone got any good advice on this? Should we get them done?
Also the doctor is recommending malaria tablets for both us and the kids - is this for real?
Giles
Posted by jean_bean (Member # 13715) on :
didn't have any kind of shots, prior to coming here. Dunno of any adults that have had any.
as far as kids go - dunno if they have had their normal childhood shots yet, and dunno how you feel bout the whole series of them. I know that some think that certain ones are unnecessary, and changing their minds of giving the kids certain kinds of shots, but that is up to you. Did you tell the doc that it is EGYPT that you are going to...or the far, primtive, places in africa? lol
Posted by harankash (Member # 14248) on :
Had Hep B ( work related )and usual shots as a child but nothing more.
Its not the Congo you are coming to Posted by With a name like Smuckers (Member # 10289) on :
I didn't have any either, I'm still good! Posted by FairyDust (Member # 7138) on :
Check the World Health Organization website or the Centers for Disease Control. I think Hepatitis A & B are always good to have no matter where you are going. If you are planning to travel other places in Africa or Asia while you are living in Egypt, then you should go ahead and get things like Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Malaria, vaccinations/meds.
Posted by harankash (Member # 14248) on :
Just reading up on the Hep A one and am going to order it from the pharmacy just as a precaution since the prevalence is quite high here in Egypt.
the visible and invisible 6th October crew who want it let me know
I will use sharp hypo's heh heh heh.........
Posted by matron (Member # 4902) on :
Yes there are mosquitoes in Egypt, but they are not Malaria carrying like some other parts of Africa.
Posted by jean_bean (Member # 13715) on :
and Hep C is all around us - but they don't talk about it much here. its one of those "hidden" things
Posted by jean_bean (Member # 13715) on :
I didn't even get a flu shot like you did - and I am gonna get a hep A shot ??
i don't think so !
Posted by cloudberry (Member # 11163) on :
Sounds really odd that the doctor recommended malaria tablets We have this national and official website where you can check what vaccines you need and Egypt is not in "malaria list".
However, if you travel here to spend time (work etc.) in poor areas you might need other vaccines than those that are 'normal'. But that doesn't concern common tourists!
Here you're recommended A- and B-hepatitis vaccine, tetanus vaccine, polio vaccine and MPR vaccine. When I first came here MPR was not on the list, it have appeared within two years. My doctor said that Egypt is also one of those few countries in the world which still has polio. Polio used to be obligatory vaccine in Finland when I was young, but not anymore.
I wouldn't miss tetanus, I think it's one of the basic vaccines even in your own country! But many adults don't remember to take the booster every ten years, in school they take care of that but after that you have to remember it yourself.
Also I wouldn't come here without A- and B-hepatitis vaccine, it's cheap insurance, you never know what happens, you can get in car accident etc. and knowing how common B-hepatitis is here.
Posted by harankash (Member # 14248) on :
quote:Originally posted by jean_bean: I didn't even get a flu shot like you did - and I am gonna get a hep A shot ??
Hepatitis: All nonimmune travelers should receive the hepatitis A vaccine.
April 2008 There is a nationwide high rate of infection with hepatitis A in Egypt – also called jaundice. According to information published last year following an Austrian investigation, over 95.5% of all Egyptians are infected with the hepatitis A virus during their lifespan. Food or drinking water contaminated with the hepatitis A virus are the sources of transmission of the disease, especially in countries with low hygienic standards. In a country with high incidence of hepatitis, it can be quite easy to contract the infection. Everything is possible as a source of infection which has come into contact with contaminated water of infected persons - from the hotel kitchen to the food industry: drinking water for tooth-brushing, fruit and salad, ice on the beach. Infected tourists also represent a risk after returning home to all people with whom they have direct contact or indirectly through food. This fact was confirmed again two years ago by the outbreak in Hurghada. Over 300 tourists had been infected with the hepatitis A virus. These persons included an employee in a butcher’s shop in Tyrol, who after returning from a tour in Egypt in September 2005 infected her son and several customers of the butchery – the source of infection was identified as contaminated sausages and meat. Therefore, when traveling to countries with a high incidence of hepatitis A, a vaccination is recommended. The vaccine offers protection for at least 10 years. It is recommended not to buy or consume food from cheap street restaurants or stalls. Careful food and drinking water hygiene are recommended at all times.
Hepatitis E is endemic, with 28% of cases of acute viral hepatitis caused by this virus.
The hepatitis B carrier rate is estimated 4% of the population. Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for stays over 3 months and for short-term travelers wanting increased protection. Travelers should be aware that the risk of hepatitis B is increased by unsafe sex and the use of unsterile needles and syringes. The hepatitis C virus is hyperendemic in Egypt, with seroprevalence rates up to 67% in older villagers, 12%–15% in others. Travelers should be advised not to receive transfusions of blood unscreened for hepatitis B and C virus.
Posted by Yowza (Member # 14400) on :
I got the Hep shot. It's a good idea for Egypt, as shown from the article above.
Posted by GilesA (Member # 14862) on :
My local doctors here are like witch doctors. They like to give you a million different vacinations, anti-biotics, etc for every little ailment they can imagine.
Do you think that getting the children a polio booster before travelling is a good idea? Or am I succumbing to paranoia now.
Can anyone recommend a good English speaking doctor/clinic in Cairo where I can get the TB vaccination done. Do you think it is a good plan for the children too?
Looking for some balance here. These EU doctors are paranoid or trying to just shift vaccine numbers. I do not like vaccinating just for the sake of vaccinating. I like the body's immune system to perform its job too!
Thanks
Posted by Ayisha (Member # 4713) on :
I had some shots before I came first time, after the booster 6 months later they last for 10 years. One was Hep something, C i thought, cant remember what else but malaria was only needed for going to (i think) Fayoum??? some Oasis area up North
Giles get whatever shots you can, a friend of mine had Typhoid here not so long back.
Some mozzies can bite nasty, they LOVE me Its ok to build up an immunity which you can do over time, but what can be flying around here that would give an Egyptian a tummy upset can kill you if you are not carefull, and believe me, being ill here is NOT good Posted by VanillaBullshit (Member # 10873) on :
quote:Originally posted by jean_bean: and Hep C is all around us - but they don't talk about it much here. its one of those "hidden" things
Hidden things?? Here in egypt?? Egyptians do that??
Surely you jest, Beanie.
Posted by tina kamal (Member # 13845) on :
my mom has hep c and she dont know how she contracted it~
Posted by Oldbag (Member # 9889) on :
Nope - no jabs whatsoever before coming here and after 10 trips in 3 years and now living here for over 4 months am still alive
Thought about the flu jab but didn't - had a very bad cold for 2 weeks but it wasn't flu.
I would recommend stout shoes for the kids for walking about the streets because they can get pretty filthy so if they got a cut in their foot and then caught something could be bad - tetanus I guess might cover that.
(I once stood on a rusty nail when swimming in the Mona See in Germany and the wound didn't heal for months)
Posted by Oldbag (Member # 9889) on :
That article says Hep A is also called jaundice? Is it the same?
Like many new borns, I was born with Jaundice hence in the UK I was banned from being a blood donor - just remembered that - don't know if that's still the case.
I wouldn't necessarily rely on information coming from a website that sells travel medicine - same as I don't rely on research that says 'mars bars are good for you' sponsored by Mars Corp
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
who want it let me know ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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We have this national and official website where you can check what vaccines you need and Egypt is not in "malaria list".![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Its ok to build up an immunity which you can do over time, but what can be flying around here that would give an Egyptian a tummy upset can kill you if you are not carefull, and believe me, being ill here is NOT good