Thailand Vaccines

[HBowley]

My partner and I are traveling to Thailand next year, we are also trying for a baby I have been told by my dr that they have no information on pregnant women receiving the relevant vaccines and are suggesting that we stop trying until after Christmas however they are not quite sure ... Really not very helpful, we're going for two weeks and staying in hotels in Phuket and Bangkok, I was already thinking we would have to stop trying in January to avoid being out there during the first three months after conception (if we manage it) I am hoping someone here might be able to give me some advice from experience, I don't really want to have to stop trying for the next 5 months!

Thanks in advance

I would recommend Hep A for Thailand, and making sure you're in date for diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

You won't need antimalarials for Bangkok and Phuket or any live vaccines, so if you are trying to conceive having those vaccines now is fine. They can be given in pregnancy but only where the risk of the disease outweighs the benefit of the vaccine which isn't really the case for those cities, however you would need to be extra cautious with your food and water hygiene and hand hygiene.

If you have a dose of Hep A now and a second in 6-12 months (if not pregnant) then you have up to 25 years of cover. If you have a DTP booster now you have 10 years of cover.

Do you have to have the injections? As a family we're also going for Christmas and we've also lived in China and also backpacked around India twice with no vaccinations ever for the 5 of us. Apart from the health implications of vaccinations that's £1000+++ saved!

...and both you and the locals put at risk. That's nice.

lucky for you that those nasty unhealthy vaccines have been given to many others, which is why polio is well on the way to eradication and there is no smallpox.

no, no-one will check. But your travel insurers will want words if you or your kids get a preventable disease, and if they withdraw cover that medevac/body bag will cost you a lot more £1000.

ps OP if you had the normal UK vaccines and boosters are in date, your risk is acceptable. 24/7 DEET though as dengue is everywhere tropical.

I went to Thailand last year and the GP said no vaccinations were needed. I think it depends where you're going (as some places have Malaria) but Bangkok and Phuket should be fine.

The GP was rather misguided elfo

This website is useful - travel advice for all destinations, including vaccine-preventable and insect-borne disease

Our decision was based on what friends who live out there have done. The only vaccinations we considered were malarial- having researched the side effects we decided that prevention- covering up was the best course. My initial post suggested we'd just not bothered, we researched and chose against.

there's no such thing as a malaria vaccine. Doesn't sound like your research was up to much!

Seriouslyffs the thing is, people resident in those countries have some degree of natural immunity which you wouldn't have had. You can't compare your risk with theirs.

Modern antimalarials such as Malarone have few side effects and the benefits far outweigh the risks - malaria can be fatal and you can present with the disease up to a year after leaving the malarial risk area so just because you don't get ill on holiday/whilst travelling doesn't mean you haven't been infected (similar with Hepatitis A and B).

Of course travellers should avoid risk of disease with bite avoidance, careful food and water hygiene etc (no vaccine is 100% effective) but when travelling to somewhere with a significant risk of disease why wouldn't you want to reduce that risk further where possible?

I'm always astounded at people that spend thousands and thousands of pounds travelling to tropical areas then begrudge a couple of hundred quid more on travel vaccines and medication that could potentially save their lives and minimise the risk of serious disease and long term harm.

ss you're right of course, this was 5+ years ago and the antimalarials we considered had previously made DH nauseous for the entire course.
It's about taking personal responsibility. Having seen numerous French tourists refusing nets, ordering salad and drinks with ice I felt happier managing risks once there. Of course depending on where the OP is going, the length of the holiday, how old she is an many other factors she may well decide to take the vaccinations/ anti malarials etc. and postpone TTC.