Posted: 1/13/2010 5:41:21 PM EDT
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I've been reading the survival forum for a while...have never posted here until today. Thought this topic might be of interest to some.
I'm preparing for an overseas trip and got updated vaccinations for Typhoid, Hep A, Polio booster, H1N1, malaria...already had Hep B, DTAP and a few others. Wasn't thrilled to get all of this but figured if sometime in the future if things were to go south, It will be nice to have these things updated. What about all of you? Have any of you done this, considering doing it? Pros/cons/thoughts? |
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I once had a conversation with my Corpsman about vaccinations. He really screwed with my head when he started telling me about what could really be in some of them if the .gov wanted to put it there. I know, I know. Tinfoil's too tight, but the thought is interesting. Anyone who has ever seen "Equalibrium" will have an idea what I mean. When good old Doc started telling me about nanites too... I haven't had a vaccination since.
On the other hand, I have read posts by other members here that said telling your doc that you are planning an overseas trip is a good plan for getting some vaccinations and even some antibiotics. If I had faith in the drug companies and the .gov, I'd keep up on my vaccinations though. By definition of the word, they are a great thing. |
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Quoted:
I had several vaccinations before going to PRC and took a malaria preventive. I figured the risk of getting something nasty that was preventable by a vaccine or medicine the company was happy to pay for. I keep a long list updated for my shots going on mission trips to Africa. I don't think it is worthwhile to spend money on yellow fever and typhoid if you are not going to an area where it is needed. |
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If you need to get a typhoid vaccination, you may want to get the oral. Your regular DR will not have typhoid vaccine in the office, but can prescribe it.
VIVOTIF® (Typhoid Vaccine Live Oral Ty21a) However if you can get the injectoion, it may be better to take the shot then to deal with taking the pill. |
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There's no vaccine for malaria but there are preventative medications that you can take while in a malaria endemic area...
It's probably reasonable to get a tetanus booster every 3 to 5 years especially if you do a lot of camping or work on a farm - every 10 years otherwise. A flu shot every now and then is probably good too. If you are older and have a number of diagnoses, you should get a flu shot every year. Pneumonia vaccines are also recommended for seniors every few years (I think the interval is like 3 to 5 years)... Vaccines for travelers are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and/or the CDC and are specific to the area(s) you will be visiting. Those not traveling don't generally need to worry much about vaccines other than as above. I had Hep B vaccine years ago. My last tet shot was in 1992 (I volunteered in SE Florida after Hurricane Andrew - disaster areas have lots of tetanus opportunities - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure)... |
| Dont worry, you did well, Even though many will disagree with any vaccination program, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, something people here forget sometimes in there disdain for any vaccination. just my two cents. After having lived and worked in many third and fourth world countries and places, my shot record is four pages long. |
Get em, figure the vaccine can't do any more harm to my liver than Hep B & C can. Having lived and traveled in third world countries from the time I was a kid, I've had a bunch. Have never suffered any ill effects other than the tenderness of the injection site or the low grade fever that cleared up within a day or so (in other words, the standard reactions). So far so good, but I must say I am having tin foil hat thoughts about the anthrax vaccine. A little too rushed for my liking, and I did not like the way the government was forcing our troops to get them at the point of a gun. (Am I supposed to wear this thing shiney side out or in?)
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