Vaccines for Thailand..?!

[Panicmode1]

We have just booked and I'm trying to figure out whether, if we have had all of the standard UK vaccines, we need anything extra.

We are going to Bangkok, Chang Mai and just north of Phuket, but we are (hopefully) doing 3 days at an Elephant bush camp outside of Chang Mai. I'm very susceptible to mosquitoes, even drenched in DEET/covered up, so am wondering whether I should take malaria tablets.

Rabies and typhoid are 'recommended' but we are only there for two weeks in good hotels so is it necessary?!

Any advice from seasoned travellers would be gratefully received!

Contact your GP, they'll tell you

Check with your GP - I don't think anything is required for normal travel to Thailand. Hep A and typhoid used to be recommended I think but maybe not anymore. Rabbies is usually only recommended for people travelling to and living in remote areas. There is a pretty low risk of malaria in most of Thailand but you till need to protect against mosquito bites as there is also risk of dengue.

https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-east/thailand

My gp does not provide anymore the travel vaccines. So we’ve to fo privately. I need to get typhoid and hepatitis a.

We had Hep A and typhoid. I’ve never taken antimalarials in Thailand and we’ve been many times.

Thanks all.

Yes, my GP only provides the NHS ones... tetanus, Hep A etc. They say we have to source any others from a private travel clinic.

I don’t think you need any unless spending lots of time in the jungle etc. I didn’t.

place marking

Tetanus if not had booster within 10 years. NHS.
Hep A usually advised. NHS.
Consider Typhoid. NHS.
Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis prob low risk if not long stay and not staying in rural areas. Private.
Hep B always one to consider. Probably low risk but a good one to have if a regular traveller. Private.
Anti malarials only required for rural forested borders unless immunosuppressed, then consider. Private. Yes, bite avoidance important.
Remember Zika, avoid pregnancy for three months on return if travelling with pale partner.
Make sure you have had two doses MMR. Never too old. NHS.

Perfect, thank you so much.

Rabies and JE !!
scary … no cures

Your trip sounds identical to ours!!!

We saw the nurse at our GP surgery, she checked our records against a specific list online and then gave us the ones that either needed redoing or we hadn’t had - these were Hep A and typhoid. She did say that she is flexible and offers typhoid on the nhs to anyone she thinks is eligible but that it can differ between which nurse you see on if they agree to give it.

There are also junior versions available for kids which our DC have then had too

Forgot to add - I’m generally fine for mozzie bits but dh can get eaten alive, we have incognito products and will get some of the Thai pink bottle repellant from 7/11 when there too and take antihistamines

Rabies is fairly rare in Thailand but you should avoid getting close to animals (dogs, cats, monkeys etc) and if bitten or scratched seek medical attention straight away (the exact treatment you need is different if already vaccinated but either way you need some shots if bitten).

JE is extremely rare and has only been diagnosed in travellers who were staying in very rural areas (volunteering or visiting family) and is not something the average tourist needs to worry about.

That's interesting about your GPs not giving proved jabs.DS needed rabies for Costa Rica, before anyone panics it was because he was going to a somewhere off the beaten track that had endemic bats who can carry rabies.
Or GP gave him his jabs but he had to pay the private cost

We are going with Trailfinders...so I imagine it's a fairly well trodden itinerary?!. I'm so excited - especially about the elephant camp - but am nervous about the mosquitoes.

Thanks to everyone for your advice, I will contact my GP surgery. We aren't going until Christmas so we have ages 😂 I just like to be prepared!

Our GP advised that just an up to date tetanus was needed for Thailand for general travel.

We went to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia recently and booked an appointment with a nurse via our GP practice, who talked us through all the advice and options - super helpful. We had hep A, typhoid, diphtheria and tetanus jabs - all free on the NHS. Nurse encouraged us to also consider rabies but this is not covered on the NHS and is quite expensive. We discussed but decided to leave it since the risk is low - but we were careful to keep away from dogs and cats during the trip.

GP is incorrect. I doubt s/he is even properly travel trained- no such thing as 'general travel'.
I'd be interested to know which resources he or she used in their risk assessment.
Did they advise about Zika for example?

Rabies is so pricey and so unlikely, if you’re staying in hotels. And it only buys you more time.

I would only get the rabies vaccine if you’re likely to be more than 24 hr from a decent medical centre which is not the case for most tourist travel in Thailand, even backpacking or budget travel. Medical care is very good in Thailand, at least private health care which your insurance will normally cover and you are unlikely to be far from a good medical centre. Add to that the low chance of getting bitten by an animal unless you are one of those idiots that tries to befriend every stray dog.

Correction - it was the nurse, not the gp. She checked online.