Immunizations needed for Egypt??? Help!

[anto]

Call me completely irresponsible and totally birdbrained, but we are going to Egypt for a week on Sunday and it's only just dawned on me that the kids (aged 3.5 & 1) might need some vaccinations.

Have had a look on the internet but all I can find is a recommendation (on a scuba-diving website) that an adult has up-to-date polio & tetanus (which both my kids had at 2, 3 & 4 months, as part of their triple innoculations) and hepatitis A.

What I can't find is any info relating to small children. Have rung my doctor's surgery and they say the nurse will ring me back but I am fast running out of time. Can they have the hep A vaccination at such young ages? And do they really need hep vaccinations given that we are staying in the Four Seasons in Sharm El Sheikh & have no intention of going outside even once, as everyone takes great joy in telling me that Sharm is a scuzzy dump! DH is adamant that they don't need anything as it's not exactly downtown Cairo, but I am not convinced.

I can't believe I've been such a complete idiot...

We were told you only needed vacs if you planned to be there long term. Think the Foreign Office website has a list.

I'd say no need for vaccinations in Egypt - i've been there myself and i send people there on holiday all the time and my official advice is always consult GP, but my unofficial advice is no. call BA travel clinics for advice if you're really worried, but if you're leaving on Sunday it would be too late for any vccinations now anyway.
Four Seasons? Nice!!!

In my defence I did deal with 2 travel agents, from the better (i.e. more expensive) sort of company, and neither of them so much as mentioned vaccinations. Which is probably why it didn't cross my mind. Phoned 2 friends who had been to ask their advice and neither of them had had vaccinations done, although both their kids were approx. 18 months at the time, so a bit older than dd2.

SO glad the general consensus is that they're not necessary because apparently Hep A takes two weeks to kick in and at this late stage the only alternative is the dreaded gammaglobulin (that huge one in your bum) and I can't believe they would give that to a baby.

Am going to be very careful and keep my fingers crossed...

have a look at this

that doesn't work try this

Anto - what did you think of this holiday? We might be going there soon.

Anto, I know this is 7 years out of date, but I'm so glad I came across your post as I have done exactly the same thing as you! We're going to Egypt (again, a resort) on Friday and I haven't thought at all about vaccines for my 10 month old. I feel ridiculously stupid for not thinking of this. Just wondered (if you can remember that far back) what you did and if everything was ok??!!!

Chipmunksmum, I think you'd be better of starting a whole new thread about this.
I've no advice for Egypt, but, DD was vaxed at birth for hep b, TB, measles and polio. She went on to have about 20 others to cover the countries we've lived in. She's fine.

My 2 SS's birthmum took them to Egypt when they were 1 and 4 months old and they hadn't had ANY vaccs whatsoever,they were fine but a friend who is a nurse was mortified by it. Not that she was bothered about their safety she walked out on them a week after the holiday and doesn't see them now 4 years on! I dont think you need any extra vacs though for Egypt other then the usual routine ones.

If you are going on friday it is too late for Hep A anyway as you need it done at least 2 weeks before you go. As long as your little one had had her DTP it will be fine.