I just had to get a post script going on Vinnie’s immunization post. He made it seem like we’re actually on the ball with all of our shots. Ha. One week before leaving SF, I made the appointment to get my shots. Most shots are given in a series so this was a little like showing up to register to vote on election day. I was given an evil side eye glare and a horribly traumatic lecture about the illnesses that will eat my brain, trim my waistline and eventually kill me.

Is it bad that I was interested in the “lose weight from a tape worm” part of the lecture?

Anyway, with the time constraint and the huge cost of the Rabies ($219 x 3) and the Japanese Encephalitis ($245 x 2), I chose not to get all the shots.

I really don’t plan on working with livestock or waterfowl, on rice paddies or on farms.  Why would anyone work with waterfowl? That sounds like 3rd world punishment for North Korean soccer players. I also plan on wearing eau de deet for 12 months (bug spray), so I’m not scared of contracting the dreaded brain eating Jap-E.

I hope that I can get my rabies vaccine abroad where I think it will be cheaper. And I really need that Rabies vaccine because I love dogs more than children and maybe even more than champagne. Here’s a picture of me in Chile – note the number of stray dogs that I chose to befriend.

In the US I spent $239 and received:

• Regular Flu – not a shot, it was a nose spray!
• Polio shot
• Typhoid  shot
• Tetanus shot

Plan to get  abroad:

• Rabies
• maybe Hep A ( I believe I’ve already been vaccinated.)
• Probably not Japanese Encephalitis

Depending on where you’re going (asia, india, africa, etc.), there’s probably some vaccinations you’ll want to get.  Some vaccinations need to be given multiple times over a 28 day cycle, so try to start 2 months before your trip if you can. Most city’s will have a travel clinic, like the Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic in SF, just be prepared to shell out $200-$400 in shots, thankfully for me, Kaiser Permanente members get them for free at the KP hospital.  For Asia & India, I filled up on:

• Polio (IPV)
• H1N1 Flu [lasts 1 year]
• Tetanus (Tdap) [lasts 10 years]
• Hepatitis A/B (Twin Rex) [lasts 10 years]
• Rabies [lasts 3 years]
• Japanese Encephalitis (lxiaro) [lasts 3 years]
• Typhoid Oral HVACC [I want Oral, 4 caps over 1 week, it last 5 years. KrissyMo went for the shot]
• Pneumo Vaccine [already was immunized]

Remember to have a hearty breakfast/lunch on your visit, my first trip was 6 shots, and without any food in my stomach, I got a little dizzy nearly passed out.

Photo Credit: AJC1 creative commons license on flickr