Vaccinations for Egypt ?

[AwfulBeryl]

We are looking at going to Egypt, probably Sharm el sheikh. We will probably go for a package holiday. We haven't been to Egypt before.
I didn't think we would need any vaccinations but someone I know mentioned we might. We will be going with young dc so would probably be more careful then we would have if we were young and care free.

Fit for travel strongly advises you to get hep a plus typhoid fever, but on further investigation they advise having hep b for Spain and Portugal too, which I haven't had done.

What has everyone else done ?

I don't really want the Dts to have vaccinations for a holiday, they're pretty young and I don't want them to go through that unnecessarily.

From what I can see the main concerns are hep a and typhoid, and they are more prevalent in areas where access to adequate sanitation and safe water is limited.

Will that be an issue in Sharm ?

Tia

I am very pro vaccinations and I would get them. However, depending on the ages of your DC, they may still be covered by their baby vaccinations as some can last a long time (years) before a booster is needed. You do need to plan when to get the vacs as there is an optimum 'window' before you travel to allow the immunity to develop, especially if there is an initial injection to be followed by a booster months later.

DH and I had Hep A and Typhoid, and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio in two injections, but we didn't have Hep B; this was in 2009 so If the recommendations have changed now it means there is more risk of contracting it. My view is that if you don't want the DC to have the momentary discomfort of injections, don't go on holiday to destinations where you will need them.

The biggest risk in Egypt is vomiting and diarrhoea for people of all ages, and this is often in resorts/AI hotels. There are no guarantees that you will not be ill anywhere.

I would recommend Hep A for Egypt, regardless of whether you're staying in a 5 star hotel or cruising on the Nile. The sanitation and infrastructure are poor and where there are people chronically infected with Hep A (and B) they can pass it along to you via the water (and thus food) route. With access to safe water typhoid disease is unlikely.

Hep A isn't given routinely to children in the UK and can be given from 12 months of age. Ideally it should be given 3 weeks or more before travel and a booster is needed 6-12 months later to provide long term (20-25 years+) protection.

Consider when you're going as well - the heat can be fierce in the summer (45 degrees plus) and I wouldn't take young children there. (Well I hated Sharm and wouldn't go there again anyway but that's not what you asked!)

We didn't have vaccinations when we went last year. I had a it ofa dicky tummy but I think that was just the heat. (I also hated sharm and doubt I will ever go again)

My son (11) and husband are going to Sharm in Half Term. They definitely needed Hep A. It was free at the doctor and although my son is pretty needle phobic, I am very happy we have had it done. I would not let him travel there without it...

Thank you for your replies, we won't travel without it then. I wasn't too sure if it was just recommended for areas that were more out In The sticks iykwim.
Just asked the Dts - they're 4 and they say they don't mind having the injections as long as they can have some sweets afterwards
Not too sure if I want to do that to them just for a holiday though, even if they are up for it. I am not anti vaccinations, completely the opposite, Dts are up to date with the baby, toddler and pre school vacs.

I am probably just being a bit pfb, it's not like they're babies, I just feel a bit mean about them possibly feeling a bit rough after the jabs just so we can go away.

Than a so much for your replies.

Yes we went to Egypt and us and the kids had the hep A and the typhoid, it was free at the doctors.