Sunday 18 December 2011

More on Vaccinations

Some more important information for those travelling internationally for foreign missions.

Get a blood test done. I was no longer immune to measles, German measles (aka Rubella), or Hep B, all of which I have been vaccinated against. Not only that, but I even HAD both measles and German measles. I was fine for mumps, which I have never had, ironically. So get a blood test - the last thing you want is to be out of action with something minor, contagious and preventable like chickenpox.

The worst injection I had was the Yellow Fever injection. I ended up feeling slightly sick for a few days afterwards. It is a live vaccine, and cannot be given less than 10 days before travelling, because of potential side effects. GO TO THE DOCTORS EARLY.

Check your pills. I had to take back my original malaria pills because they contained gluten and dairy, both of which I react to. If I hadn't checked, I would have spent the trip having difficulty breathing, vomitting, and having other reactions. The information was on the packet - but I had to check. Don't rely on the doctor to get it all right, they can make mistakes, jsut like anyone else.

Live vaccines need to be one month apart. This means that your MMR and Yellow Fever cannot be at the same time. Take this into account when planning vaccinations. Teh vaccines for different places vary, but there is a big chance that there will be more than one live vaccine. Go early so that you can be fully protected from diseases.

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