Immunisation!

This morning I had an appointment at the Lake Road practice in Portsmouth. I had to undergo my first set of immunisations for my trip to Asia. These were the free jabs, the ones the National Health Service will pay for; Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and Typhoid. I'm not a fan of injections, but they were pretty painless and all I have is a dead arm, which is a bit achy!

Whilst I was there I decided to have a chat about my itinerary whilst in Asia and whether or not I will need any more vaccinations. The nurse was extremely helpful and full of interesting facts and advice about my travels. I had been advised that I should be considering immunisation against Yellow Fever and Japanese Encephalitis before I leave and she spent a good twenty minutes checking the latest advice from the NHS.

Yellow Fever is not necessary and is only really a high risk in Africa and South America, so I should discount that straight away. The Japanese Encephalitis is a more difficult one to decide. The nurse explained, it was a personal choice, whether or not I have the injection. If I was away for a long period of time, visiting the more remote parts of Asia, surrounded by forests, I should definitely be having the vaccine, but she felt it wasn't necessary. She did however advise me to have a rabies shot, since I was more likely to visit areas with stray domestic animals that could carry the virus. In any event, If I do not touch or approach any of the wildlife, I should be fine.

Jabs done, I walked over to Boots to find out details of the rabies and Encephalitis injections, so I can make a more informed decision, with the facts in my hand. I made an appointment with the pharmacist next Thursday who will help me decide if I need these two shots; the cost isn't cheap either. The Rabies vaccine is administered in three shots and will cost 180 pounds, the Japanese Encephalitis is administered in two shots and will cost a staggering 196 pounds. Neither of these two are necessary for travel to the countries we are visiting, but they should be considered, depending on where we are touring whilst in Asia.

So today I had the recommended injections and will decide over the next week whether or not to have the others. It is a sad fact of life, that many people who travel abroad, do not think about protecting themselves against disease, but it is a cost that should be factored into any holiday. I will certainly be considering what to do next and if I should take any more precautions than I already have. As the nurse said to me today, if I have a good insect repellent I should be fine, but of course there is a chance, however small, that I could contract something nasty...How much risk am I prepared to take, is dependent on me!