I leave in 7 days from Minneapolis on a bus to Chicago O'Hare to fly to Guatemala City, Guatemala. I'm not getting any vaccinations and I'm not taking malaria pills. My experience asking other travelers to these regions has generally supported my decisions to do as I am. Most of the people I've spoken with that are adamant about needing to get vaccinations seem to have these thoughts which stem mostly out of fear. Also from people I've spoken with the malaria pills potentially won't work and guaranteed will make me sick. What do you think about this? Do you always get vaccinations? One person I spoke with that thought I was crazy said immediately after I told her this "you don't have insurance then" and this is true, but it is only a portion of my decision.
My body is getting prepared to make dietary changes and I have been with a cleansing diet for a month or so now as well as taking probiotics now and with me when I go, as well as whole-food nutritional supplements. I'm a vegetarian that studies nutrition and feel I have a very healthy body. I'm also a beginning essential oils aromatherapist and will be bringing a case of therapeutic grade oils that have been tested for internal use.....
so... thoughts?
My body is getting prepared to make dietary changes and I have been with a cleansing diet for a month or so now as well as taking probiotics now and with me when I go, as well as whole-food nutritional supplements. I'm a vegetarian that studies nutrition and feel I have a very healthy body. I'm also a beginning essential oils aromatherapist and will be bringing a case of therapeutic grade oils that have been tested for internal use.....
so... thoughts?
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Minneapolis
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 1:32 PMHi,
I don't know about Guatemala but I read that the tropical malaria kind (the most agressive one) for example at the Kenyan coast can, when not treated and without much immunity of your own, put you in a coma and kill you in a matter of days or even hours! So even though a good condition helps you fight the malaria, if you get it get treated. By the way vaccination against malaria does not exist, the pills are prevention and don't give a guarantee because the more you get bitten the more chance some resistant ones will get through the prevention. That's why a combination of prevention (pills, light coloured covering clothes, repellent and a mosquito net) is the most effective. Even if you get it with the prevention it will be less severe because of the prevention. See:
www.dongo.org/kenya-belgi...osquito.html
for the prevention me and my family used at the Kenyan coast.
:c), BoBi
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 3:43 PMWhat kind of vaccinations are you referring to? When I travel to developing nations, I make sure I have an up-to-date tetanus shot, plus MMR (measles, mumps, and Rubella) and yellow fever is needed...in fact, some countries require these for entry.
As noted before, there is not a vaccination for malaria (or at least one that I'm aware of). The preventative malaria medication has come a long way in just the past decade or so. Larium was notorious for causing hallucinations and making people quite sick, although thankfully I did not have any of those symptoms. I'm forgetting the name of the last meds I took for malaria prevention for more recent trips, but I had literally no ill effects and I certainly think the prevention was worth it.
If you're absolutely against taking any medication, make very sure you have an excellent mosquito net that *you* provide (many provided have holes the size of your fist or larger - not such a deterrant for those pesky mozzies!) and get some quality bug spray and dose your net and clothing in it regularly. I personally prefer to take meds rather than to dose myself in DEET, but that's your call. Trust me, if you get sick, it will be much more of a pain in the ass - especially getting quality medical attention in another country - than simply taking one pill every week or so...
Just my $0.02. Have a wonderful and safe trip! -
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Fri, February 15, 2008 - 3:11 PMI agree with Sweet P.
I don't think that you need any special vaccinations, but make sure that your standard vaccinations are up to date.
Note - if you don't have health insurance, you can get these same vaccinations in Guatemala for a fraction of the cost. This wouldn't make sense for a short trip, but it's an idea if you're going for months.
Personally, I won't take malaria pills as a preventative again. But instead, I'd recommend that you take a malaria cure with you. Malarone seems to be the best of them, in terms of effectiveness and few side effects. It can be used as a preventative or as a cure. Talk to a good travel doctor for the dosage. Should you come down with a fever in an malarial region, quickly get yourself tested - esp. if you have chills. If you do have malaria, then you'll have the cure with you and won't have to worry about what meds the hospital does or doesn't have on hand.
And, I _always_ travel with antibiotics. You'll never know when you'll be really out in the middle of nowhere and come up with a debilitating or life threatening infection. I've had a 107.5 degree fever, and once my foot swelled up to 2x it's size within 24 hours. In these cases, it's best to have antibiotics with you. When you arrive in Guatemala, you can buy a pack of 20 Amoxicillian for almost nothing.
One more recommendation. For more minor stomach problems, I've started taking charcoal. They actually sell it in the pharmacies. Just like in your fishtank, it acts like a filter and absorbs all of the bacteria. Unlike anti-biotics this is all natural, and does no harm to your system.
Those are my thoughts.
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Fri, February 15, 2008 - 7:59 PMHere are a couple of sites that may be of assistance:
CDC -Health Information for Travelers to Guatemala:
wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/dest...atemala.aspx
US Department of State's Foreign Entry Requirements:
travel.state.gov/travel/ci..._1129.html
have a great time!!!
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Sat, February 16, 2008 - 7:55 AMyogart has been proven now to reduce "traveler's sickness" by populating your intestinal tract with good bacteria thereby leaving less room for bad bacteria to get a foot hold, as it were.
Personally, I would get the basic vaccinations and make a decision about the malaria pill based upon the risk of the exact area/s that you are going into and whether or not you will have some reasonable protection from insects.
I just got the works at a travel clinic a couple months ago and it cost about $300 bucks. Also, at the clinic where I went in Salt Lake they were very good and accomodating, quite willing to discuss options and intelligently advise on pros and cons and let us make the decisions about what to get and not get.
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Sat, February 16, 2008 - 7:46 PMprobiotics are amazing and will help keep your immune systems strong. I also always have a bottle of activated charcoal. It sucks toxins out, GReat for food poisoning etc. Also mushrooms, there is a formula called host defense. It raises your white blood cells, and supercharges immunity. You can also get homeopathic remedies for various issues.
B vitamins(especially b-thiamine) can help keep the skeeters off. The b's smell bad to them, but people wont be able to smell it.
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Mon, March 3, 2008 - 2:31 PMSo far so good, haven't had any problems what so ever down to even digestive problems of the change in diet, ie: going from basically vegan to eating gallo pinto (rice & beans) and eggs a few times a week. Been taking probiotics every day and also a super multivitamin made from whole food sources. No vaccinations, no malaria pills. Brought a kit of different therapeutic-grade essential oils for infections, cuts and other various things.
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 5:06 PMI would recommend against the malaria preventative. Neem pills (NOT the oil that you use on your body or in your hair) is a bit hard to find, but will act as an anti-parasitic agent. Even just a few years ago, some friends of mine reported severe hallucinations from the anti-malarial... but I still would take some with you, if for no other reason as to reassure your mind that you have a back up. I would also recommend duct tape- you can patch up holes in the sleeping nets wherever you're staying. The charcoal recommendation is a good one... and I'd add grapefruit seed extract and apple cider vinegar pills. I took those every day while in SE Asia for 3 months, and never once got sick... even while eating everything (besides the food that's obviously been sitting out for hours and hours). Basic vaccinations (tetanus, MMR) are essential, but unless a country requires the vaccination for entry, you don't need things like Dengue Fever vaccs.
Have an awesome trip!
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Sun, July 13, 2008 - 11:27 AMOh the vaccinations...
In the case of Guatemala, and a great deal of Central America, although doctors will recommend all the vaccines you could ever want, there are very few places where Malaria is present at all. Should you choose to use anti-malarial pills, it is definitely worth checking with some more region specific information about whether you are traveling to an area where it is present. Yellow fever is not an issue either, although (as some one else already posted) the CDC's website has information about which countries have entry and exit requirements for that particular vaccine.
I had vaccinations when I first went to Costa Rica, and anti-malarial pills, and found out later that I more than likely did NOT need them. I have been back since without any problems, and to Guatemala, again without problems.
As to mosquitoes, I recently was in Costa Rica on the Nicoya peninsula for a few weeks, and I took two B complex vitamins every day for at least a month before I went, and during my stay. It helped immensely to keep the bugs off. One of my traveling companions got around 50 bites one night while he slept, and I escaped scot free. It works!
Have a great trip! Guatemala is breathtaking!
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Mon, July 14, 2008 - 9:53 AMI had vaccinations. The tetanus shot made my arm very sore for a few days, but it wasn't that expensive, all told. That was covered by my insurance, so were all the vaccinations for hepatitis A and B. These are good to get, even if you are not traveling! Malaria pills and the vaccination for typhus were not covered. I went to a travel clinic and it was not too expensive, and the additional information they provided me was well worth it. -
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Re: Vaccinations & Malaria
Mon, July 14, 2008 - 9:54 AMJust wanted to add that I took chloroquine for 2 months and did not have any problems. no side effects at all. ut I was living in the rain forest in Costa Rica. many of the people I lived with were not taking anything.
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