Vaccinations

Ann Kerr · Post by **Ann Kerr** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:46 pm

we are travelling to Tobago in March as a family, children aged 1/5/10 & 13. Please advise if any vaccinations are required.

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:01 pm

Hi Ann

We get Hepatitus A ... Typhoid ... but your youngest may not be able to have these.

Consult your GP/Practice Nurse ...

You will get a booklet certifying the vaccinations for each child just in case someone authoritative wants to check.

Regards

Jane H · Post by **Jane H** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:02 pm

Hi Ann

For our first visit, we were advised that no special vaccinations were required over and above the usual Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid and Hepatitis A. i.e. the standard "tropical" collection. There is no Malaria on the island.

Hope this helps

Jane

Wendy G · Post by **Wendy G** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:43 pm

Hi,i'm off to Tobago in May for my nephews wedding,and keep reading different things about NO JABS, needed and SOME JABS needed,i'm confused here,can someone please HELP!

Jane H · Post by **Jane H** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:39 pm

Hi Wendy,

Your best bet is to talk to your GP or the nurse in your doctor's practice who specializes in travel immunisations. They will advise on your requirements.

The advice I was given regarding requirements for Tobago is as in my reply above.

Jane

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:51 am

My opinion is, never mind where you travel, everyone should have some vaccinations as a "minimum standard" for their own safety, as Jane say, Polio, Tetanus, and Hepatitis A.
Small scratches can very easy get infected if you, for example, step on some dirthy thing, normally there´s not a big risk in Tobago, but if you have bad luck...

Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow fever, that´s something you only need when going into other specific areas in Asia, Africa and South America. But that also depend on the situation, that change sometimes.

Wendy G · Post by **Wendy G** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:32 pm

Thanks guys,it's just i've been on the Virgin Atlantic web site on there Health thread,and it said yellow fever recommended for Tobago & Trinidad. Any way i'm visiting my doctor this thursday morning so see what he says!

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:44 pm

There´s sometimes outbreaks of Yellow Fever by the monkeys, but I havn´t beeen reading that peoples has been sick. You also have Malaria sometims, but both of them are mostly in the southern part of Trinidad, not Tobago.

Many years ago, Yellow Fever was recommended for visitors. I´d get the the injection, but NO ONE at the Immigration was asking for my International Certificate of Vaccination!

Yellow Fever is, or at least was, different from other vaccinations. I had to go to a hospital to get it, the doctor told me it´s life vaccin. Normally centras for vaccinations wasn´t allowed to give such a vaccination.

Jill M · Post by **Jill M** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:06 pm

Wendy,

I found this advice via the Dept. of Health Website.

Trinidad and Tobago

Yellow fever vaccination certificate required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Yellow fever vaccination usually advised for visits to rural or forested areas of Trinidad (not for solely city or beach holidays or for Tobago).

Hope this helps.

Jill

Jill M · Post by **Jill M** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:12 pm

Also this may help :-

Check routine immunisations including tetanus.

Immunisation against hepatitis A usually advised (less important for short stays in tourist hotels). Immunsation against typhoid occasionally advised for longer stays where food and water hygiene standards may be in doubt.

For longer stays consider immunisation against hepatitis B and diphtheria and check BCG status.

Jill

Jill M · Post by **Jill M** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:13 pm

Forunately the UK is not a Yellow Fever infected area

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:38 pm

Also be careful about tetanus jabs.They are not now recommended by the UK NHS if you have had three or more boosters in your lifetime.This is fact,I am a chef and used to have a booster every five years,but am not allowed anymore-I don't now the reason.
David

Wendy G · Post by **Wendy G** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:05 pm

Thanks alot for the info guys!

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:58 pm

About Thetanus, I got my first when I´d made my military service. Some years later, in the 70´s, I had an other and 1987 I´d my third. Than I´m protected 30 years or more, at least until 2017. That´s one reason they doesn´t give a person so many injections.

Dr Stefan Rustscheff · Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:53 am

Another good reason that we do not fork out tetanus prophylaxis shots is that You really do not need it until You get a dirty cut, eg not from Your own razor. In any case, You may always have a refill, if You for example get bitten by something or someone...

Wendy G · Post by **Wendy G** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 4:24 pm

Well i went to see my doctor on thursday,and he said I DON'T need any vaccinations,and my tetinus is up to date so that's a relif!

Martijn Lodewijk · Post by **Martijn Lodewijk** » Mon May 22, 2006 11:32 pm

I realise the last post has been a while and I will also see my doctor for specific information, but what I'm interested in is what sort of vaccination / health issues to consider when moving to T&T as I am going to.

Since most of the information I've so far come across seems to be focused on shorter periods of time I wonder what happens to it's validity when applied to actually going to live there once used to a European setting (grew up here in the Netherlands). I read on an American government website for example that yellow fever is not to be underestimated in T&T (meaning both islands) and that of 7 known cases over the last so many years that were contracted by US citizens visiting the Carribean (not only T&T) all seven victims died.

I'd greatly appreciate any input.

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:09 am

Hi Martijn

I´ve been visiting Trinidad & Tobago since 1989, and only once I´d see a warning about yellow fever.
Since that I´m told that outbreak of yellow fever sometimes happend in the south of Trinidad, mostly from and between the monkey.
Maybe the peoples from US was working into the oil/gas industry in the south?

It´s possible to get injections for yellow fever, but if you aren´t around these areas, deep into the rain forrest...? Such a vaccination only work for some time too I believe.

Myself should first of all check my vaccinations for polio, tethanius and other types of "normally" vaccinations. After that I would go after the doctors recommendations accordning to the area. And than I don´t only mean T&T. It´s a tropical area, if you live there you might go across to South America too?

Ronald

Martijn Lodewijk · Post by **Martijn Lodewijk** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:18 am

Ronald wrote:
...

And than I don´t only mean T&T. It´s a tropical area, if you live there you might go across to South America too?

Ronald

Right that last part was something I had been thinking about also, since I might not always stay in one place there may be more things to consider when it comes to health and safety.

Mostly I would be staying in either Trinidad or Tobago, but because of job opportunities it might well be Trinidad and I can't of course guarantee I'll never be in the south.

Perhaps the CDC is just trying to be on the safe side with what they're saying, it was their website I was referring to.

About general health issues when related to the Caribbean it was:

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/caribean.htm#vaccines

About Yellow fever it was:

http://www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/util ... wfever.htm

But then again I may have misread it slightly also.

Carrie W · Post by **Carrie W** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:05 pm

how long before you go do you need the vaccinations?