I don't want to start a controversy but I am just curious...
If you were planning a trip out of country, somewhere that is considered a "hotbed" for certain diseases like polio or malaria, would you get the vaccines before you went? Is it better to risk the vaccine or the disease?
It really depends.
Some vaccines are mandatory if you want to travel. For example, if you want to return home after a trip to Africa, you MUST have the yellow fever vax. I would get it and would have my kids get it. My children will be older when we travel, so that is a huge factor. And I think the benefits of travel outweigh the one vaccine they would have to get.
I have always said I would look at the country, what medical help is available, and what kind of /if any outbreaks they are having. I lived in a very remote part of Benin. Medical help was far away - somewhat decent medical help. Good medical help was probably at least a days travel away.
However, I don't know if I would vaccinate beyond what was mandatory (and be careful, because websites will say a vaccine is necessary, but it isn't truly government mandated for entering the country. For Africa, at every police check/visa check at the airport and in the country, they look for that yellow card saying you have the yellow fever vaccine.
i thought even the required vaccines can be avoided with an exemption..?
I took teams of people to South Africa for years for humanitarian work. We worked/stayed in shanty towns and visited prisons, clinics, and orphanages. We never needed any paperwork regarding vaccines to re-enter the country.
I haven't gone since 2009, so unless this is a very recent development, it's not true for all parts of Africa. I know others who took teams to other African countries and they didn't need paperwork either.
Quoting micheledo:It really depends.
Some vaccines are mandatory if you want to travel. For example, if you want to return home after a trip to Africa, you MUST have the yellow fever vax. I would get it and would have my kids get it. My children will be older when we travel, so that is a huge factor. And I think the benefits of travel outweigh the one vaccine they would have to get.
I have always said I would look at the country, what medical help is available, and what kind of /if any outbreaks they are having. I lived in a very remote part of Benin. Medical help was far away - somewhat decent medical help. Good medical help was probably at least a days travel away.
However, I don't know if I would vaccinate beyond what was mandatory (and be careful, because websites will say a vaccine is necessary, but it isn't truly government mandated for entering the country. For Africa, at every police check/visa check at the airport and in the country, they look for that yellow card saying you have the yellow fever vaccine.
Quoting wolfybaby:
i thought even the required vaccines can be avoided with an exemption..?
No. Our country allows exemptions within our country. But there is no exemption for much (all??) of travel to other countries.
You're right! I know WEST African countries require it.
Quoting sreichelt26:
I took teams of people to South Africa for years for humanitarian work. We worked/stayed in shanty towns and visited prisons, clinics, and orphanages. We never needed any paperwork regarding vaccines to re-enter the country.
I haven't gone since 2009, so unless this is a very recent development, it's not true for all parts of Africa. I know others who took teams to other African countries and they didn't need paperwork either.
Quoting micheledo:
It really depends.
Some vaccines are mandatory if you want to travel. For example, if you want to return home after a trip to Africa, you MUST have the yellow fever vax. I would get it and would have my kids get it. My children will be older when we travel, so that is a huge factor. And I think the benefits of travel outweigh the one vaccine they would have to get.
I have always said I would look at the country, what medical help is available, and what kind of /if any outbreaks they are having. I lived in a very remote part of Benin. Medical help was far away - somewhat decent medical help. Good medical help was probably at least a days travel away.
However, I don't know if I would vaccinate beyond what was mandatory (and be careful, because websites will say a vaccine is necessary, but it isn't truly government mandated for entering the country. For Africa, at every police check/visa check at the airport and in the country, they look for that yellow card saying you have the yellow fever vaccine.
Quoting micheledo:You're right! I know WEST African countries require it.
Quoting sreichelt26:
I took teams of people to South Africa for years for humanitarian work. We worked/stayed in shanty towns and visited prisons, clinics, and orphanages. We never needed any paperwork regarding vaccines to re-enter the country.
I haven't gone since 2009, so unless this is a very recent development, it's not true for all parts of Africa. I know others who took teams to other African countries and they didn't need paperwork either.
Quoting micheledo:
It really depends.
Some vaccines are mandatory if you want to travel. For example, if you want to return home after a trip to Africa, you MUST have the yellow fever vax. I would get it and would have my kids get it. My children will be older when we travel, so that is a huge factor. And I think the benefits of travel outweigh the one vaccine they would have to get.
I have always said I would look at the country, what medical help is available, and what kind of /if any outbreaks they are having. I lived in a very remote part of Benin. Medical help was far away - somewhat decent medical help. Good medical help was probably at least a days travel away.
However, I don't know if I would vaccinate beyond what was mandatory (and be careful, because websites will say a vaccine is necessary, but it isn't truly government mandated for entering the country. For Africa, at every police check/visa check at the airport and in the country, they look for that yellow card saying you have the yellow fever vaccine.
I have no interest in taking my children to Africa or anywhere other then North America. If they want to go to Europe as a teen we'll cross that bridge when we get there, and as an adult it's their own decision.
Saw this at the museum
- Eliots_momma
on Nov. 17, 2012 at 12:12 PM