I am covered through a trip to India this month so this is for my girlfriend; she was given the below advice in Sydney:
Thank you for enquiries
Vaccination you need to travel to the countries
Tetanus
Hep A and Typhoid
Meningitis
Polio
Malaria Medication
Along with this you also need to advice about RABIES, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue Fever which will be discussed ( you do not this vaccination)
Vaccination is best taken 4 to 6 weeks before you travel.
International Travel Vaccination Centre
(One stop Vaccination centre)
Sydney Division
We are travelling in December from Kathmandu fly to Pokhara then a 10-day Annapurna trail, and I have had informal advice that for this location (i.e. not wetlands) and time of year (not monsoon) we would only really need the Hep-A shot, not all the rest. Your advice is appreciated as each treatment is v expensive.
Cheers, Steve
I've travelled here a few times and have never had ANY shots. In fact, I reckon the shots themselves will make you feel sick.
It's up to you though.
You might do better to post this question in the Health section.
This is what the Centre for Disease Control (a US government dept that seems to have a god-like status on foreign health matters) has to say about Nepal
CDC on Nepal
It's your life!
In addition to that excellent link above, some notes.
I am having hep A and B for india and having two before i go and one when i get back six months after the first shot. It will last me for 10 years. Hepatitis A is a fairly high risk disease in much of Asia.
To my pleasant surprise I found i got a 50% refund on my hep shots from my private health fund. If your girlfriend has this, she should get something back for each shot.
Rabies, see my post for information towards the end of page 2 on the FAQ. Also do some google searching for what's going on in Nepal regarding rabies. I don't think the shots are usually recommended for a trip of one month's duration, partly becuase of the expense and partly because of the relatively low risk of getting bitten and partly because you can have preventative treatment after a bite anyway but you do need to act as if its an emergency to increase your chances of not dying - regardless of how minor the bite.
The shots should not make you feel sick. I recall that cholera shots make some people feel a bit unwell but its nothing to worry about and this shot is not recommended as often as it used to be. Of course not having the shots doesn't mean you will get sick. But if you do ingest one of these organisms, you will wish you'd had the vaccs.
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<hr>I've travelled here a few times and have never had ANY shots. In fact, I reckon the shots themselves will make you feel sick.<hr></blockquote>
Typhoid or Hep A are no joke if you happen to get them. Better safe than very sorry.
I myself got Hep A & B (Twinrix), polio, tetanus and typhoid. Also make sure your MMR vaccination is in order. (It almost certainly is).
Malaria is a problem only between June-Sep in the southern parts of Nepal. None of the shots made me sick. (Only about 1/100 get mild symptoms and
1/1000 get noticeable symptoms).
Just transferred to Pune(a couple of hours south of Mumbai), India and will be here for about a year. As for shots, due to the length of our stay, we were advised by our Travel Med doctor and CDC to get all the following shots you mentioned.
I suppose one way to think about it is, what would most likely happen to you? e.g. get bitten by a mosquito, bitten by a dog, scratched by a monkey, offered to drink unfiltered water and can't refuse, get run over by a two-wheeler (just kidding!)
None of the shots made us feel sick or suffer any side effects except a painfully empty wallet. :( We also had the Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis shots. I've observed packs of dogs and other animals roaming the streets of india. Not that they're aggressive or anything, they're usually sleeping when you see them, but just in case a pack of monkeys cross your path(common in delhi), at least you're covered. :)
Also, it really depends on where and what time of the year you're going. CDC's web site should indicate what outbreaks there are in that area. If you're going during the monsoon season, then you might want to make sure you get typhoid innoculation and malaria pills.
Finally, make sure to pump up your vitamin intake. Better to build up your resistance and also bring tums(food can get spicy)! If you're allergic to dust and pollution, bring your antihistamines. Make sure to drink only mineral water. We normally gorge on street food, but the water issue is really a problem and even those with stomachs of steel can get sick.
By the way, innoculations aside, India is indeed a great country to visit. The food is wonderful and very tempting! Have fun on your trip.
I was about to make that tetanus comment, so are just backing up #6.
Polio is not a big deal to update either. I don't know about Nepal and adult infections, but in India vaccination is a big deal (they were vaccinating kids at the airport the other day).
Also, agree you'll get good advice on the health branch.
My advice as a medical student who grew up in Nepal, you should definitely be up to date for polio, tetanus, BCG, MMR, and Diphtheria, basically the standard vaccination schedule for your home country, there's no excuse not to have these. On top of that you really want a twinrex or hepatirex vaccine for water born hepatitis (A) and typhoid fever. I had hep A as a child in Nepal and, trust me, you really don't want to take the chance. Rabies is a good idea if you're going to be pretty remote (you are), but quite expensive and not an absolute must. Meningitis isn't usually recommended for short trips unless you're working in epidemic areas or refugee camps. I've never taken malaria medication in Nepal and certainly wouldn't recommend it for anywhere above the Terai (not for where you're going).
Cheers, good luck with your trip.
Ben
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