Our local (San Diego County) Health Department refers to hepatitus (is it "A" or "B") as the only STD that you can get a vacination for....

Good Idea
Pauncho

It is a good idea for everyone that "hobbies" to get a Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B shot. You can go to your local county health department and it will be a little cheaper. Or you can even go to your primary care physician and it might be covered on your health insurance.

The Hepatitis A shot is a 2 shot series. You get your first shot then you get your 2nd shot 6-12 months after the first. The shot is good for up to 10 years after you complete the series of shots. The cost is around $75 each.

Hepatitis B is a 3 shot series. You get your first one, then you get the 2nd one 1 month after the first and the 3rd one 5 months after the 2nd shot. It is also good for up to 10 years once you complete the series. It is usually around $65 each.

There is a new vaccine Twinrix that contains both Hepatitis A and B in it that is highly effective and saves you from getting 2 extra shots but the cost is about the same as getting the vaccines separately.

The are in the R & D (research and development) stage of working on other vaccines for other STD's. I envision in the next decade you'll see vaccines for herpes, syphillis, and other STD's.

Got every shot known to travelers, including a supply of malaron. Smallpox is next, but only if worst fears are realized about terrorists preying on weaker nations whom the USA loves. Let's hope they don't go there.

Need some information about vaccinations for yellow fever. I think it is a single shot good 10 days after receipt and for 10 years thereafter.

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/yelfever.htm

Required if going to Brazil within 90 days of a visit to Columbia or Venezuela.

Anybody done this? Anybody ever been asked by Brazilian immigration? Any reason not to get this done?

I got a yellow fever shot at the airport in Lima just prior to flying to Sao Paulo.

When entering from a country that has yellow fever, you need a cirtificate showing the date, and place that you got the shot.

The certificate that I got in Lima said that the show was good for 10 years.

CP

I am not sure where you would get a yellow fever shot in the US. You might be able to get it at the local County Public Health Agency.

My experience has been that your family doctor can do the shot, but that you'll have to make arrangements through a pharmacy.

When I was getting ready for India, my doc's office basically sent me to the pharmacy, and told me to bring them the drug and they'd "install" it for me.

And guess what? Our health insurance didn't cover it. Pricks.

Dem Gnomes

Also, a buddy of mine just went to Brazil on business. He took the yellow fever shot, plus started on anti-malarials.

He told me he was "2 exits, no waiting" for a few days.

Be careful of your timing.

Dem Gnomes

Hey guys. You should note that NO insurance covers immunizations for international trips. They only cover routine immunizations and traveling across the world isn't covered. I know everyone hates shots but it's very important to stay up to date on your shots. You don't want to get sick in a foreign country where they don't speak English and the standard of medical care is poor.

Do yourself a favor, before taking a trip visit the website below and look up your country. You can read about which shots are recommended.

http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/index.html

You might also strongly want to consider medical evacuation services. I can personally recommend the best one out there: http://www.medjetassistance.com/ I know the owners of the company and I myself am a member. Only company that will fly you back to the USA (your home city)if you get really sick or injured. Small price to pay for peace of mind. Good luck.

I went ahead and got vaccinated for hepatitis A and typhoid fever today. I also got the yellow fever shot. I have taken three international trips now (soon to be four) and have put off getting these vaccinations, but I figured it was finally time to do so. I went down to the Pima Country Health department and got all three shots for $162.00. I also think I am going to get the Malaria pills. The health department recommended the pills you can take once per week.

I am seriously debating GodFather's recommendation of the emergency evacuation service Medjet as well. $195 a year doesn't seem that bad.

I was surprised to learn that Tucson has the worst hepatitis A rate in the country. I asked her why and the nurse gave me the politically correct answer that Tucson has a lot of travelers from other countries coming through it. Hey, I am no expert, but I have never really considered Tucson to be at the center of international and foreign cultural exchange. Hmmmmm.

I would imagine L.A. and S.F. has a ton of travellers. lol Xen. I had my hep shots etc. But I didn't know they've got shots for yellow fever...

(Message edited by dickjohnson on July 11, 2003)

Xen, where are you going on this next trip? Curious as to why you are considering malaria pills.

Just got my second Hep A & B shots two days ago.

I am going to Brazil. For now I am doing everything the CDC recommends. I have gotten sick (nothing serious) but I have still gotten sick on each of my previous trips or shortly after I returned. So I am in the overly paranoid mode now and trying to protect myself.

Thought I would update this topic: recieved immunization shots for Brazil today, this was an expense I didn't plan on.

Hepatitis A = $68
Hepatitis B = $65
Tetanus = $35
Yellow Fever = $89
Typhoid oral = $65
Cipro = $12
office visit = $39
Total = $373

Why did you get immunizations for Brasil? Unless your coming straight in from Borneo or Angola or something, there are no requirements for immunizations.

A combination of little reasons, thinking about going to the Falls(need yellow fever), I live near the highest Hep A concentration in the USA, a co-worker went to Rio and spent the whole week in the banado puking from some virus, I'm planning a trip to Africa next year.

I figure I should ask someone who knows. Since my local doctor doesn't give immunization shots, I went to Passport Health www.passporthealthusa.com They printed up a nice 30 page booklet about traveling to Brazil from a health viewpoint. They advised this list. It won't be the first $400 I've pissed away, but it could be the best $400 I've ever spent. I got the shots.

Didn't realize there were shots for "yellow fever". Hell, I could have saved TONS of cash with a shot that would let me resist Asian hookers!!

E

Epi, that's why the "yellow fever" shot is the most expensive one!

LOL

give me some of that... yellow that is, not the shot!

Anyone getting pertussis (whopping cough) immunization updated? I am thinking about it the more I read.