Going to Belize on my honeymoon in April of this year. My fiance went to a travel doctor and they made her get Tetnis (sp?), Polio, Hep A, Typhoid and Maleria (sp?) pills. He said thats the minimum he and the CDC recommends for Belize.

Problem. It was right around $450 for all the shots and shit. Now we've got enough Maleria pills for both of us, but now I'm trying to decide on what vaccines I want. My general doctor said he'd just get Tetnis shot and maleria pills. I feel like the travel doctor is just trying to squeeze as many shots as he can per customer to make more money.

What shots do you world travelers get and what would you get for this trip? We are staying on a resort, half the time in the resort rainforest and half the time in the actual beach resort. Not leaving the resort the whole time.

3/20/2013 11:07:19 PM

Tetanus
Malaria

/degree

3/20/2013 11:38:43 PM

0 shots... Unless your tetanus shot is out of date but I would do that even if staying in the US. And malaria pills seem a bit much but since you already have them take them.

The recommended stuff by the CDC is probably worst case, since it is a recommendation for an entire country for everyone going there.


[Edited on March 20, 2013 at 11:42 PM. Reason : ^ what degree?]

3/20/2013 11:41:14 PM

If you're caught up on all of your vaccines, the only things that you're lacking are Typhoid and Malaria.

3/21/2013 12:02:35 AM

Also keep in mind that you're not supposed to drink any alcohol while taking the malaria pills[1], which sucks as you're supposed to take them before, during, and after your trip.

[1] as told to my ex by her doctor and pharmacist for her trip to India

3/21/2013 12:27:08 AM

Don''t take any. Sure there will be like a 1% chance you get sick but it only drops to like.5% if you take the pills.

Most malaria nowadays is resistant to the pills so you would be wasting your money on something that might not even work, may make you sick itself and is a huge inconvience.

The best thing to do is just spray yourself with deet every 8 hours and avoid the mosquito bites in the first place. Its like wearing a condom before banging prostis. THATS THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE YOU WONT GET IT.

Also, nothing they have can keep you from getting dengue and many other really terrible diseases. Keep in mind that many of these third world countries have so many people sick because of the living and eating conditions. Your first world immune system would likely lay the smackdown on that shit.

I've been all over cambodia and cameroon but didn't get it because i wore deet, drunk bottled water, wore solid shoes, cleaned my cuts and avoided street food.

[Edited on March 21, 2013 at 2:19 AM. Reason : http://www.amazon.com/Repel-94108-4-Ounce-98-1-Percent-Repellent/dp/B004H89KFC]

3/21/2013 2:13:25 AM

there's one anti malaria pill you can take that you'll get sun burnt to shit and can't drink booze on

there's an alternative that's slightly more expensive without the sensitivity to the sun or alcohol.

which do you think would work better on a honeymoon?

i was prescribed the later for a trip to thailand and had zero problems.

i want to say the one with photosensitivity and alcohol sensitivity was chloroquine and the one with significantly less was mefloquine.

but check with your doctor.

3/21/2013 2:18:03 AM

I also find it funny that hipsters don't want a chemical on their skin so instead they INGEST THEM INTO THEIR BODY.

[Edited on March 21, 2013 at 2:22 AM. Reason : but hey the pills cost more money SO THEY MUST BE BETTER]

3/21/2013 2:21:04 AM

sorta related, but the one year i didn't get a flu shot was last year, when we went to thailand, and on the flight back

EVERY FUCKING ASSHOLE ON THE PLANES HAD THE FLU.

the flight from phuket to seoul... lady sick with flu throwing up on my aisle
flight from seoul to dallas... lady sick with flu throwing up on my aisle
flight from dallas to houston... kid throwing up on flight that might have been turbulence related, but come on

four days later, i've got a crazy high temperature, voming, can't open my eyes due to the headache, body chills, etc.... the people at the clinic i went to went into full on outbreak mode when i said i had been in bumblefuck thailand for an extended period of time with minimal vaccinations prior.

expensive bloodwork for "oh it's just the flu"

3/21/2013 2:25:21 AM

are you referring to me?

3/21/2013 2:25:46 AM

Being smart is better than being vaccinated. Sure, sometimes your kids bring the flu. Also, its debatable weather its better to get the flu naturally or to get the vaccine. We don't quite understand the long term effects of many vaccines.

You could have protected yourself from the flu. Wear a damn mask if it is that bad. I bet you're the type of person that touches the inside handle on bathroom doors...

Malaria is even easier because all you have to do is not get bit during the evening whch is the only time malariasquitos bite.

[Edited on March 21, 2013 at 2:32 AM. Reason : at a damn resort theres not much to worry about and in the woods you don't want insect bites anyway ]

3/21/2013 2:30:45 AM

concur with avoiding mosquitos with long clothing and tons of DEET.

the anti-malaria pills will give you really weird dreams and are the most awful tasting thing you will ever put in your mouth. skip them unless creepy dreams are your thing.

3/21/2013 2:01:20 PM

If you're at a resort with a quick excursion to a tourist area of a rainforest, i would get:

tetanus- if you need an update, but only because its good to be current in general
hep A- I'd suggest Hep A even if you never travel, you should have that in general if you ever eat food prepared by others

I'd only be concerned about malaria if you were staying there for a long time, if you're only there for a week or a short trip i wouldn't worry about it. what malaria medicine did they give you? there are different kinds, chloroquine makes me really depressed so I avoid it. I personally wouldn't take anything for malaria to go to Belize but its cheap so its up to you.

Will your health insurance not pay for any of them? Travel doctors a lot of time don't file with insurance, which is probably why its $450, but I'd be surprised if your insurance doesn't cover some of those. If you are uninsured, go to Wake County Health Clinic on Sunnybrook near the hospital and save some money.

Quote :

". Also, its debatable weather its better to get the flu naturally or to get the vaccine. We don't quite understand the long term effects of many vaccines"

this is super retarded

vaccines are safe, the flu vaccine is safe. the flu vaccine does not give you the flu. i hope you get whooping cough and die.


[Edited on March 21, 2013 at 6:22 PM. Reason : idiot anti-vaccine people]

3/21/2013 6:03:57 PM

Do what CDC does...

Wear Biosafety level 4 positive-pressure suit the whole time in a hostile environment. Only way to give you that safety feeling...

3/21/2013 8:38:01 PM

Might as well stay home if you take everything the government says seriously. They are just covering their own asses.

Quote :

"CRIME: Organized crime beyond street gangs is primarily connected to drug trafficking or trafficking in persons. Incidents of crime remain high, including violent crimes such as armed robbery, home invasions, shootings, stabbings, murders, and rapes. The Embassy has noted an increase in crimes against tourists at resorts and on the roads and river ways. U.S. citizens are primarily the victims of opportunistic crime. There is no evidence suggesting criminals specifically target U.S. citizens, but nonetheless, foreigners have been targeted for crime due to their perceived wealth. Incidents of crime (such as theft, burglary, home invasion, purse-snatching, and pick-pocketing) increase during the winter holidays and during spring break. Several victims who resisted when confronted by criminals received serious injuries, including gunshot wounds and broken limbs. "

i stayed in the slums basically and it was safer than most american cities at night.

3/22/2013 12:39:49 AM

Agree with others, get the Hep A and Tetanus. Anti-malarials are fucking brutal, and if you wear good bug spray and stick to bottled water, you'll be fine.

3/22/2013 3:18:12 AM

Any person who travels to Applebees needs Hep A

3/22/2013 7:10:04 AM

Ok, how much do Hep A and Tetnus cost? Or how much should they cost?

3/22/2013 8:06:24 AM

Are you insured? Porbably just your copay.

If not, call the Wake County Health Clinic and ask:

Wake County Health Clinic
10 Sunnybrook Rd Raleigh, NC 27610?
Edit details
(919) 250-4570
Physician, Government

3/22/2013 12:25:47 PM

don't need to be in a 3rd world country for hep a:
http://pix11.com/2013/04/05/hepatitis-a-found-in-west-village-restaurants-desserts/

4/6/2013 12:31:05 PM