Travel Vaccines - The More You Know

When I was looking for information on vaccines I found that there was very little on the internet. You know you have to get them, but you really don’t know much more than that. Seeing as we just went through this giant debacle, I thought I would share the plethora of information that I received while talking to the travel nurse.

A few things to take into consideration:

#1 Vaccinations are not cheap if you do them in the United States

We decided to go ahead and put our money into getting them here so that we can put our planning energy elsewhere. The insurance company basically told us that they were not legally viable for the vaccinations and so we were on our own.

If you have time on your hands, I would suggest looking into your County Health Clinics. For instance, I know that the Travis County Health Clinic can help with your Hep A/B and tetanus shots at a fraction of the cost. Also, if you can split up your travel nurse consultation with shots that aren’t covered under your insurance by setting up a separate appointment under your primary care provider, you can save time (and money) by not having to send in the paperwork to your insurance company to claim your covered vaccinations.

And most surprising, my travel nurse highly suggested getting shots done in Thailand if you are looking for a more budget friendly choice. Once I get the suggested clinic locations she has for me, I’ll let you guys know.

#2 Vaccinations have to be done MONTHS in advance.

Well, if you get certain ones that is.

While Hep A/B are not required to travel abroad, most healthcare providers strongly suggest them. They are on the schedule of 0/1/6 months so keep in mind that you need 6 months prior to your trip for them to kick in.

#3 There are multiple ways to get your Typhoid Vaccine.

The typhoid shot lasts 2 years.

From what I understand, the typhoid shot can be quite nasty in regards to side effects and recovery. Almost all the travelers I talked to on Twitter and in my own community talked about how sore their arm was or that they were bruised.

The typhoid oral vaccines last 5 and are only ~$11 more.

These require you to take the pills on a very specific regiment but last much longer. So far Shaun and I have had no issues with side effects except for very mild stomach issues.

#4 Yellow fever vaccine burns like a SOB.

A week has passed since the vaccine and a giant welt has appeared at the injection site. While this is normal (and I've heard multiple people complain about this issue), I am a big baby and it hurts even when people give me hugs.I can imagine that I'm in for some very interesting side effects.

Shaun with his super genes and super immune system has nothing at all - no trace of anything.

Our next appointment is in a month in which we will get our second round of Hep A/B shots and a long discussion about malaria pills and general precautions. I have to admit, I was impressed by the travel nurse on hand. Not only was she personable but spent the better part of an hour chatting with us about the vaccines in detail along with handing us a plethora of travel materials to look over.

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Jay of Our Take On Freedom has let us know that there are free vaccine clinics in New York City. I will continue to update this list as I get more information.

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**Don’t forget to get your yellow travel vaccination card signed at the time of your appointments.**

**All photos via me, Erica Kuschel.**