We just came back at the end of March. We did take pills for malaria. Made sure we had Hep A. And carried every OTC and an antibiotic with us. Happy to report we had no GI issues.
Totally agree with BKMD. In my observation on the forum when it comes to vaccines, many people don’t have the recommended ones for living in this country, never mind traveling to third world countries. Please seek professional advice.
Contacting my PC, I was told to check the CDC web site. Let me a bit down figuring he would be more helpful having known me for more then 30 years. CDC recommends a lot of things and I was looking for fellow travelers who were going the distance for a recommended Chikungunya shot.
I just looked at the CDC. I do this before I travel to a country where I am likely to encounter these types of diseases.
I note that India has increased incidences of Chikungunya in the past five years, its years since we were there. I can only hope your PC took the time to look at the CDC while you were with him/ her and with knowledge of your health history and age and so on, and you had your traveling itinerary with you to show them, was able to advise you about what vaccines or precautions you need.
The Chikungunya vaccine was apparently new in 2024. If not then your PCP may need to be changed. Travel doctors are more knowledgeable but they will try to push every vaccine and pill on you and expensively. If you do this, to minimize cost, get prescriptions from them and fill them at your pharmacy which should be cheaper than buying them there.
I know what I do for myself based on my doctors and my health history and knowledge. The first thing we do to minimize mosquito exposures is to cover up as much of our bodies with clothing as we can, long sleeves and pants and the remainder with appropriate insect repellents.
In the end it is really up to you to make your choices and these should be made well in advance of your trip.
Enjoy your tour, we’ve been to India and are slated to go to Nepal next year.
Four our recent Kenya/Tanzania trip we asked our PC who referred us to a travel doctor. I also checked Costco. Costco was by far the best! You turn in all the forms, their doctor reviews and makes suggestions. Their pharmacy filled our prescriptions and provided shots needed, all at a fraction of the travel doctor's prices! Getting our malaria prescription re-filled for our upcoming trip as well! Worth checking out if you have Costco in your area.
Apologies to everyone for not being more succinct in my post as this progressed. So going by the CDC we should get DPT (been a while probably for tetanus), chikungunya, cholera, Hep A & B, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, typhoid and yellow fever. Wondering where all fellow travelers on this trip "fall"? Meaning, what are you getting, understanding in whole, based on your PC advice. Having been on numerous Tauck trips previously to include China, Vietnam, if I remember correctly, never had any vaccination advice from Tauck or my Agent (didn't ask the PC either). So I'm scheduled with a consult with the VA Infectious Disease office in June and see what they say. Thanks to Carlen, British, and Madrick for the helpful info that I was looking for. I'll let ya know.
Wow, you should have had some of these for China and Vietnam. That is why it’s impossible for someone who doesn’t know you to even think about helping you. Tauck does state it is up to you to be up to date with what you need because they don’t know you or your health history either.
We have not had Japanese encephalitis or Chikungunya shots. Everything else, yes, have had them under our belts for a long time and updated as necessary.
We just had annual wellness checks yesterday and we passed vaccination stuff with flying colors.
The VA will give you armfuls of shots judging by what others say about going to the VA.
British...Have not heard/seen/communicated of others with VA experiences and have some doubt about those authenticities. NO, the VA did not give me an ARMFULL OF SHOTS. The two (VA) doctors I sat with today were also taken a bit back about our Vietnam and China trips. Today, I seen the Infectious Disease folks at the VA and their recommendation for the India, Nepal, and our side trip to UAE was as follows. Get Typhoid (which they gave me). They drew blood to determine if I need Hep A & B because it is very likely that I was already vaccinated for it while I was in the Military before 1995. I have an updated TDAP and COVID (required/recommended) and they gave us a script for Malaria. Based on the Tauck trip itinerary they recommended OTC Picaridin (mosquito repellant} and Permethrin (can treat clothing, hat, socks, scarf, etc). I feel very comfortable with this plan and am glad I did not go blindly into CDC recommendations of Chikungunya, Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis, and yellow fever. I hope this can help fellow travelers but recommend ones check with their PC doctors based on their own cases.
Doug
I’m not sure what you mean about authenticities of VA. I should think the Veterans here will have something to say.
Of course no one knows you. So you did the right thing going to the VA if you had that privilege. Without the blood test, you probably would have been given Hep A and B, so indeed it might have been an armful 😀Plus going back for them for the full course over several months.
What do you mean about the China and Vietnam trips?
Enjoy India and Nepal and please consider writing a review here when you return.
Your previous post of "The VA will give you armfuls of shots judging by what others say about going to the VA. I hadn't read any other posts by Vets in this thread to authenticate your claim.
As I mentioned previously about our Tauck trips to both China in late 2019 and Vietnam in early 2023, we did not get any prior vaccinations for those trips. Knock wood.
Maybe we were on the same China tour in late 2019! We had all the recommended shots way before we took the China tour and our Vietnam tour.
Example, AlanS certaintly used the VA and others have mentioned using them too.
I actually went to a Navy Clinic (formerly Navy hospital) at MCAS Cherry Point just to ask. They asked if we wanted shots right then and then gave us (military retiree and spouse) all the shots we needed that could be given in one session. We both brought our yellow International Shot cards. I'm sure the VA would have done the same. The military or VA will typically give you what you need, but it is up to you to decide how sore of an arm you want or if you want to spread the shots our over more than one visit.
Comments
We just came back at the end of March. We did take pills for malaria. Made sure we had Hep A. And carried every OTC and an antibiotic with us. Happy to report we had no GI issues.
Thank you Carlen. So no Cholera, typhoid or a few others recommended by CDC? Anyone?
Wouldn't it make more sense to seek advice from a medical professional or the CDC web site, rather than random people on an internet forum.
If someone online told you that you don't need to vaccinate your kids, would you follow that advice?
Totally agree with BKMD. In my observation on the forum when it comes to vaccines, many people don’t have the recommended ones for living in this country, never mind traveling to third world countries. Please seek professional advice.
Contacting my PC, I was told to check the CDC web site. Let me a bit down figuring he would be more helpful having known me for more then 30 years. CDC recommends a lot of things and I was looking for fellow travelers who were going the distance for a recommended Chikungunya shot.
I just looked at the CDC. I do this before I travel to a country where I am likely to encounter these types of diseases.
I note that India has increased incidences of Chikungunya in the past five years, its years since we were there. I can only hope your PC took the time to look at the CDC while you were with him/ her and with knowledge of your health history and age and so on, and you had your traveling itinerary with you to show them, was able to advise you about what vaccines or precautions you need.
The Chikungunya vaccine was apparently new in 2024. If not then your PCP may need to be changed. Travel doctors are more knowledgeable but they will try to push every vaccine and pill on you and expensively. If you do this, to minimize cost, get prescriptions from them and fill them at your pharmacy which should be cheaper than buying them there.
I know what I do for myself based on my doctors and my health history and knowledge. The first thing we do to minimize mosquito exposures is to cover up as much of our bodies with clothing as we can, long sleeves and pants and the remainder with appropriate insect repellents.
In the end it is really up to you to make your choices and these should be made well in advance of your trip.
Enjoy your tour, we’ve been to India and are slated to go to Nepal next year.
Four our recent Kenya/Tanzania trip we asked our PC who referred us to a travel doctor. I also checked Costco. Costco was by far the best! You turn in all the forms, their doctor reviews and makes suggestions. Their pharmacy filled our prescriptions and provided shots needed, all at a fraction of the travel doctor's prices! Getting our malaria prescription re-filled for our upcoming trip as well! Worth checking out if you have Costco in your area.
Apologies to everyone for not being more succinct in my post as this progressed. So going by the CDC we should get DPT (been a while probably for tetanus), chikungunya, cholera, Hep A & B, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, typhoid and yellow fever. Wondering where all fellow travelers on this trip "fall"? Meaning, what are you getting, understanding in whole, based on your PC advice. Having been on numerous Tauck trips previously to include China, Vietnam, if I remember correctly, never had any vaccination advice from Tauck or my Agent (didn't ask the PC either). So I'm scheduled with a consult with the VA Infectious Disease office in June and see what they say. Thanks to Carlen, British, and Madrick for the helpful info that I was looking for. I'll let ya know.
Doug
Wow, you should have had some of these for China and Vietnam. That is why it’s impossible for someone who doesn’t know you to even think about helping you. Tauck does state it is up to you to be up to date with what you need because they don’t know you or your health history either.
We have not had Japanese encephalitis or Chikungunya shots. Everything else, yes, have had them under our belts for a long time and updated as necessary.
We just had annual wellness checks yesterday and we passed vaccination stuff with flying colors.
The VA will give you armfuls of shots judging by what others say about going to the VA.
British...Have not heard/seen/communicated of others with VA experiences and have some doubt about those authenticities. NO, the VA did not give me an ARMFULL OF SHOTS. The two (VA) doctors I sat with today were also taken a bit back about our Vietnam and China trips. Today, I seen the Infectious Disease folks at the VA and their recommendation for the India, Nepal, and our side trip to UAE was as follows. Get Typhoid (which they gave me). They drew blood to determine if I need Hep A & B because it is very likely that I was already vaccinated for it while I was in the Military before 1995. I have an updated TDAP and COVID (required/recommended) and they gave us a script for Malaria. Based on the Tauck trip itinerary they recommended OTC Picaridin (mosquito repellant} and Permethrin (can treat clothing, hat, socks, scarf, etc). I feel very comfortable with this plan and am glad I did not go blindly into CDC recommendations of Chikungunya, Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis, and yellow fever. I hope this can help fellow travelers but recommend ones check with their PC doctors based on their own cases.
Doug
I’m not sure what you mean about authenticities of VA. I should think the Veterans here will have something to say.
Of course no one knows you. So you did the right thing going to the VA if you had that privilege. Without the blood test, you probably would have been given Hep A and B, so indeed it might have been an armful 😀Plus going back for them for the full course over several months.
What do you mean about the China and Vietnam trips?
Enjoy India and Nepal and please consider writing a review here when you return.
Your previous post of "The VA will give you armfuls of shots judging by what others say about going to the VA. I hadn't read any other posts by Vets in this thread to authenticate your claim.
As I mentioned previously about our Tauck trips to both China in late 2019 and Vietnam in early 2023, we did not get any prior vaccinations for those trips. Knock wood.
Maybe we were on the same China tour in late 2019! We had all the recommended shots way before we took the China tour and our Vietnam tour.
Example, AlanS certaintly used the VA and others have mentioned using them too.
I actually went to a Navy Clinic (formerly Navy hospital) at MCAS Cherry Point just to ask. They asked if we wanted shots right then and then gave us (military retiree and spouse) all the shots we needed that could be given in one session. We both brought our yellow International Shot cards. I'm sure the VA would have done the same. The military or VA will typically give you what you need, but it is up to you to decide how sore of an arm you want or if you want to spread the shots our over more than one visit.