So the cruise I've been gushing about recently will be stopping in parts of Mexico, Honduras and Belize. Do I need extra vaccinations? I had a tetanus shot the other day because it'd been a squillion years since I had one. But do I need the Hep shots, etc. that are listed for out-of-US travel?
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
Probably not, unless you plan to eat street food. If you do, it might be worth getting the shots (I think Hep A is the one recommended?).
If you will just be eating cruise and restaurant food you are probably fine. Though, I am not a medical provider (just a traveler) so my advice isn't as valid as someone who is!
When we went to central/South America it was recommended we got typhoid and hepA vaccines. On a cruise I wouldn’t think you would need it unless you are planning to eat foods not prepared on the ship.
Post by PennyCandy on Aug 22, 2019 12:33:10 GMT -5
I think everyone should have Hep A so if you don't already have it, I would get it. CDC also recommends Typhoid. Make sure to get them at least a couple of weeks before your cruise so you are fully protected.
Post by sunnysally on Aug 22, 2019 12:34:30 GMT -5
I think everyone should get the hepatitis shots, unless it is against medical advice of course. There have been several Hep A outbreaks in my state in recent years. You can never be certain of the hygiene of cooks, servers, and your fellow passengers.
I've had the typhoid vaccination several times and the shot is painful. There is an oral vaccination available that is valid for a longer period of time. If you will mostly be eating on the ship, you can probably skip the typhoid vaccine.
The CDC recommends hep A and B for all adults (not just for travel). Whether you need typhoid for a cruise...depends on your activities and your level of risk tolerance, I guess? Just a heads up, travel-specific vaccines aren't usually covered by insurance.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
When we did our Panama Canal cruise 6 years ago I went to the travel clinic at work, and nothing was technically required, but the doctor looked on the CDC website (I think) and we had a long talk about where we'd be stopping and what we'd be doing, and ultimately the recommendations were:
- tetanus booster if you weren't up to date,
- Hep A/B because we were in the age range where it hadn't been standard for school vaccines and this was just a good idea in general anyway. (they did it as a combo vaccine)
- typhoid
We also did yellow fever, but really only because I'm a HUGE mosquito magnet and we were going to be doing a swampy mangrove tour in Colombia, and hanging out in Costa Rican jungles. He gave me an Rx for a malaria prophylactic for the same reason. It was really more an abundance of caution than anything on these two. I also bought anti-mosquito pants and we had heavy duty DEET bug spray, and we saw zero mosquitos the entire trip.
When my H and our friends went into the same clinic a week later they basically just said, "I'll have what she's having" and got the same stuff.
I think everyone should get the hepatitis shots, unless it is against medical advice of course. There have been several Hep A outbreaks in my state in recent years. You can never be certain of the hygiene of cooks, servers, and your fellow passengers.
I've had the typhoid vaccination several times and the shot is painful. There is an oral vaccination available that is valid for a longer period of time. If you will mostly be eating on the ship, you can probably skip the typhoid vaccine.
Wait, how often does the typhoid vaccine last? I thought it lasted forever.
We were just in Belize and didn't bother looking at any additional vaccinations. However, in 2016 we were immunized against typhoid and Hep A, so were probably protected some (I guess this is a moot point as we have been back awhile).
I think everyone should get the hepatitis shots, unless it is against medical advice of course. There have been several Hep A outbreaks in my state in recent years. You can never be certain of the hygiene of cooks, servers, and your fellow passengers.
I've had the typhoid vaccination several times and the shot is painful. There is an oral vaccination available that is valid for a longer period of time. If you will mostly be eating on the ship, you can probably skip the typhoid vaccine.
Wait, how often does the typhoid vaccine last? I thought it lasted forever.
I think everyone should get the hepatitis shots, unless it is against medical advice of course. There have been several Hep A outbreaks in my state in recent years. You can never be certain of the hygiene of cooks, servers, and your fellow passengers.
I've had the typhoid vaccination several times and the shot is painful. There is an oral vaccination available that is valid for a longer period of time. If you will mostly be eating on the ship, you can probably skip the typhoid vaccine.
Wait, how often does the typhoid vaccine last? I thought it lasted forever.
The shot is good for 2 years, the oral is good for 5. I opt for the shot because it is free with my insurance.