Travel vaccinations for India

[ImNotReallyHere]

Can anyone help please. I’ve left it late.

Travelling to India mid July. Our surgery has a strict 6 weeks notice for vaccinations. What do I need. Also 2 kids (teens) and do we need malaria tablets? The gov website is vague. We’ll be sticking to cities but monsoon season.
We had some vaccinations 2 years ago for Thailand but had to pay a fortune privately and dont seem to be on our NHS records and no idea what they were.

Helpppppp! Please

I don't think you need any if you're going to main tourist areas both in terms of vaccination or malaria tabs. Where are you going though?

Go to a private travel clinic with your itinerary and they’ll tell you.

But generally typhoid, hepatitis A, diphtheria/tetanus/polio and possibly Hep B, rabies and MMR.

You should have received documentation for your private vaccines 2 years ago.

That’s not true, especially for India.

Hep A, typhoid and polio are three recommended vaccinations for India along with hep B.

Look on website https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home, it gives a comprehensive and up to date guide on immunisations recommended for every country in the world, and other precautions such as malaria tablets, drinking water safety etc. Please don’t rely on hearsay and second hand info on here.

Thanks. .just booked an appt with travel clinic at my GP now to discuss

We had some vaccinations 2 years ago for Thailand but had to pay a fortune privately and dont seem to be on our NHS records and no idea what they were

We're just back from Thailand. We didn't have/need any vaccinations.

Very few countries have compulsory vaccinations, but many are a good idea depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing there.

Thailand has a risk of hepatitis A, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis B and polio. That’s why a travel risk assessment is a good idea.

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and https://www.travelhealthpro.org.uk are useful.

If you were vaccinated for Thailand two years ago, you are probably covered for India still.

Thanks all. I can’t find a record of what vaccinations we had 2 years ago. I know I had different to the kids. As was private it’s not showing up on records. Do we need malaria tablets?

https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-east/india/india-malaria-map

Planning Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and either Goa or
Kerala

And if anyone has been in July would you pick Goa or Kerala for beach?

You've left it quite late to plan and I wouldn't be going in July.

Many GPs don't offer travel vax any more so the only option is private clinic. They can tell you what you need. Look on the websites like fit for travel as a PP suggested. If you go back to the one you used for Thailand they should have a record of what you had last time and advise you what you need.

It will cost though, I think we paid about £400 for India vax for four of us a couple of years ago.

Would really get to a private travel clinic ASAP. You'd want rabies vaccination for India and it's usually given as three separate doses over 28 days.

Malaria tablets are no longer required I think.
Have a look here -
https://www.citydoc.org.uk/travel-services/destinations/south-east-asia/india

For July I think Kerala would be better. Goa will too rainy.
Kerala will too but less than Goa.

I had my vaccinations for Nepal with my local pharmacist, might be worth a try?

We went to Delhi, Kerala, Goa, and Mumbai in February-March of this year. I started a thread about it here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5290760-just-got-back-from-a-tour-of-india-ama

We didn't get any vaccinations and we didn't feel at any point that we needed them. Certainly none are required by the Indian government for visitors. Malaria is very rare in the that you are looking at. You'll presumably be staying in good standard hotels and being driven around.

You certainly do not need a pre-emptive rabies vaccination. You can get a post-exposure shot there in the unlikely chance that you get bitten by an animal. There are lots of stray mongrels but they are mostly either friendly or asleep.

However, be aware that in July it is going to be either unbelievably hot (or incredibly rainy, or both). The average daily temperature in Delhi will be around 45°. Honestly I would worry a lot more about that than vaccinations. Your hotel and car will be air-conditioned, but visiting an attraction will feel like entering a furnace.

I contacted my GPs travel clinic on the back of this thread and been advised re typhoid and hep A that I need a booster of both as had them for travel to Indo in 2017.