There are so many things to prepare for such a trip that you definitely should not forget about. Probably one of the most important are the vaccinations. As a european citizen I am basically entirely unprotected and eating a wonton soup on the streets of bangkok would quickly become a game of russian roulette without the right vaccinations. After seeing my doctor yesterday, I now know which shots I will need:
- Hepatitis A and B (you will need to get more than one shot for each, and there needs to be a certain time in between, start preparing early!)
- Tetanus (often times combined with Diphteria, Pertussis and Polio in one shot)
- Typhus
- Hydrophobia
- Mumps-Rubeola-Rubella
- Japanese Encephalitis
Additionally, as its not yet clear which countries I will travel to, I will need to prepare against Malaria. There is no vaccination, only pills to prevent it. These are extremely expensive and with nasty side effects, so my doctor decided to equip me with standby-antibiotics that I only take when I get infected. This also means that I will have to be very attentive and do everything that is needed to keep the mosquitos off my skin.
All the best and stay healthy!
Yours
Crazy Ivory
EDIT 1: After getting a second opinion on vaccinations by the tropical institute in Berlin, I will also have to get shots against Japanese Encephalitis. These are really expensive (2 shots at 88 Euro each) but I rather want to be prepared.
Image by Sanofi Pasteur on Flickr – Used under a Creative Commons License