13 replies to this topic

[SteamBuff]

Hiya,

I am going to the Calcutta, Siliguri and Darjeeling area in February for two and a half weeks - My first trip to India. (Yes I will be spending a lot of the time on the 'Ty' train)


I know you always say have whatever jabs your doctor recommends BUT My local doctor's surgery has recommended the following -

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (Combined Jab) - 3 Jabs at 0 day, 1 month and 6 month.
Typhoid
Combined Diphtheria, Tetnus & Polio
Choleria (2 Oral doses)
Meningitis ACWY
Japanese B Encephalitis - 3 Jabs at 0 day, 7 days and 28 days
Rabies - 3 Jabs at 0 day, 7 days and 21-28 days
Flu
Maleria Tablets - Chloroquine/Proguanil (Paludruine/Avloclor)

Do I really need to look like a junkie or pin cushion? (Are all these really required?)

Is my Doctors just going over the top, or just after my money? (The top 3 are free but I have to pay for the rest)


Dave

[malkers]

Hi Dave

Do we know each other per chance?

Well it is always better to be safe than sorry, none of it will do you any harm.

I've never taken a malaria tablet in my life but thats not to say you shouldn't.

However, guessing that you will only spend a little time In Calcutta and more time in the hills, knowing what I know now then I wouldn't worry too much if I never got round to having a jab before going there!

But I'm an idiot of course, someone will tell you something much different.

And I just spent 2.5 years in India without travel insurance, what a rebel eh!

Malc

[SteamBuff]

Hiya,

We exchanged a few emails the other week when I purchased some of your items from Ebay.

I will be based in Siliguri for half my visit (Which is on the plain's) so the mozzi's will be around.

I agree I need at least the first 3 on the list + Maleria Tabs ... but what about the rest?

Dave

[WonderWomanUSA]

SteamBuff, on Nov 13 2006, 02:44 PM, said:

Choleria (2 Oral doses)
Meningitis ACWY
Japanese B Encephalitis - 3 Jabs at 0 day, 7 days and 28 days
Rabies - 3 Jabs at 0 day, 7 days and 21-28 days
Flu

Do I really need to look like a junkie or pin cushion? (Are all these really required?)

Is my Doctors just going over the top, or just after my money? (The top 3 are free but I have to pay for the rest)
Dave

In the end, you'll have to decide which vaccinations are most important to you.

The Cholera is pretty useless, and I wouldn't bother with it. I don't believe my local travel clinic even has it available any longer.

I've never had jabs for meningitis, encephalitis or rabies, but it might depend on what you'll be doing.

Flu shot is a good idea, because you'll be flying over in a sealed can full of germs, and since you'll be at altitude when you're in Darjeeling, you won't want any respiratory problems you can avoid.

Have a look at the World Health Organization or Center for Disease Control websites to see what they have to say about it.

[Jock & Di]

WonderWomanUSA, on Nov 14 2006, 09:42 AM, said:

Flu shot is a good idea, because you'll be flying over in a sealed can full of germs, and since you'll be at altitude when you're in Darjeeling, you won't want any respiratory problems you can avoid.

A good link re flu shots;

http://www.mercola.com/2005/sep/20/new_flu...ith_mercury.htm

[Judi]

My trip last year pretty much mirrored yours - although we spent most of the time in Calcutta.

My doctor recommended Heps A & B, typhoid, plus the combined tetanus/polio thingy - plus, of course, the anti-malarials. We discussed the other stuff, but decided together (i.e doctor and I) that they were probably only necessary were we going for a long stay (3 months or more). There were lots of mozzies in Clacutta, even in January, and despite my best efforts I got bitten, so I personally don't think you should risk not taking the anti-malarials.

I also got a throat infection whilst in Darjeeling (once you travel on the overnight train from Cal to Siliguri you will understand why). Liberal doses of Lemsip and Strepsils soon sorted that out, but a flu jab certainly wouldn't have prevented it.

btw - the Toy train trip was something I had longed to do for many, many years ....... and it was even better than I had thought it would be! Don't let anyone put you off by telling you it takes too much time, and that you can get a taste of it on the little tourist train trips. You can ...... but why settle for a taste when you can have 8 hours of unadulterated fun and bliss

Don't just restrict your posts to the health stuff, please - we won't to know more about the whole trip

[dzibead]

I've never heard of anyone getting the rabies shots unless they are planning to be working around animals.

[jyotirmoy]

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (Combined Jab)- YES
Tetnus- Very easily available in India, take that if you injure yourself.
Diphtheria, Polio - NO
Cholera- NO. Drink bottled water from reputed makes, be careful of what you eat.
Meningitis ACWY- NO
Rabies- Very easily available in India, take that if you get bitten by a dog or monkey.
Flu- YES
Maleria Tablets- I don't know whether you will encounter mosquitoes in New Jalpaiguri. Use them in case there are mosquitoes.

[kirsty112]

Funnily enough I've just been discussing this with my doctor this morning. I think she may want to report me to social services for taking my kids to India again

I got the Rabies shots the first time I went to India. It made me feel pretty grim for a couple of days and I haven't bothered again. Though, after reading about the people getting bitten at Delhi Airport a couple of days ago I may revise that opinion. If you do get bitten it's much harder to treat than if you've been vaccinated.

Otherwise, I'm not a fan of anti-malarials, though it's an emotive subject that always gets people hopping in one camp or the other. I think you just have to make your own informed judgement.

Cholera outbreaks are rare and widely reported so I don't think that one is important.

Also isn't encephalitis only a risk at certain times of the year in specific places? Paddy fields during the monsoon if I remember correctly, so that probably won't be a problem.

Meningitis may be worthwhile as you may think that you just have flu. I don't think you can be vaccinated against the most serious form though.

Definitely Hep and Typhoid.

Sometimes I think health professionals panic when you say you're going to India, and try to get you to take everything their manual tells them MAY be a risk, without really recognising that India is a big and varied country. In 2 1/2 weeks I doubt you will come into contact with anything too nasty. It's a shame they can't vaccinate against stomach bugs, now that would be worth it!

[sugarnspice]

A cousin spent her honeymoon travelling around Inida, she was very careful with drinking bottled water, etc., but she ended up seriously ill with the typhoid. When she recovered we discovered during conversation that she had been using tap water to rinse her mouth out when brushing her teeth!

[jyotirmoy]

Well if your immune system is such that you need to use mineral water to wash your mouth take all the shots. But I am doubtful it happened that way...

[finzi]

Consider Rabies seriously. After living in SE Asia for 3 years and 'avoiding' dogs I got bitten in Jaisalmer after exactly one week of a four month India trip. :'(
As it happened in a town it was fine to get the first (crucial) live vaccine but this was not available at the hospital (!!) and I was quickly taken to a private doctor by a local friend. He said that the live vaccine can be hard to come by if you are any distance from a larger city. No problems getting any of the other 4/5 shots that follow over the course of the next couple of weeks.

[SteamBuff]

Hiya,

Thanks for all your replies, I have made an appointment at the surgery to discuss it with them, it does appear that they have looked at the list and quoted everything regardless of location, time of year or length of trip.

To answer one question - my trip is with the DHR Society in the UK.

(See http://www.darjeelin...net/page10.html for details)

1 Night Calcutta, 1 Night Siliguri, 2 Nights Kurseong, 1 Night Darjeeling, 9 Nights Siliguri and 2 Nights Calcutta.

We have the following STEAM hauled trips -
1/ Evening Meal Special.
2/ NJP/Siliguri to Kurseong
3/ Kurseong to Darjeeling to Kurseong (School Train)
4/ Tindharia to Darjeeling
5/ Darjeeling to Ghum to Darjeeling
6/ (Optionally) Silguri to Agony Point
7/ Meter Gauge - Siliguri to Bagdogra (Return)
8/ Broad Gauge - Siliguri to Chalsa (Return)

We do no take the Train from Calcutta to Silicuri/NJP (We Fly) but some of us want to take the Daytime train from NJP to Calcutta when we return.

I'll post a report of my trip when I get back.

Regards

Dave

[Judi]

That sounds great, Dave. Have a wonderful time