last minute travel vaccines

[onetimething]

Okay, so I have procrastinated a ridiculous amount, but basically, I am going to India next Wednesday and have done nothing in preparation! Shots surprisingly are not required but are recommended. I do not have a regular doctor in New York to see for a consultation. I haven't been to any doctor in years and am having difficulty even finding one who specializes in travel medicine. I have insurance, but it seems as if that does not accepted when it comes to the recommended shots. Of course, it is recommended that one see a doctor six weeks or so before such a trip in order to allow the vaccinations time to take effect, so the whole issue may be moot at this point. At this point, I’m preparing for the idea of just taking as much anti-diarrhea and other over-the-counter medication that I can with me, and hoping for the best.

Anyone have any advice about where I could go at such a last minute? For the record, this is in NYC. I’d be willing to travel anywhere reachable by public transit whether it’s Brooklyn, Manhattan, New Jersey, Westchester, etc.

 

[Ram]

You are going to India next Wednesday? Oh man, it's fucking hot there. Call it off and go during winter/spring time. Plus you will have enough time to get vaccinated and the chances of getting diarehha will be lowered.

When I was in India during summer time, I drank water from the local river and -- boom!-- or rather -- splash! -- I had diarrhea. Indian Summer + mad diarrhea = suicide

That was the first time in my life I actually contemplated suicide. Serious.

 

[onetimething]

I will be going for two weeks for a friend's wedding (hence why I won't be able to postpone the trip). The wedding is in New Delhi and I will be staying with a friend of his, mostly going to touristy places around Delhi, seeing the Taj, perhaps Jaipur and then a village or two in the north where it's cooler. I'm actually more terrified of temporary stomach ailments (i.e. diarrhea) than I am of the more serious illnesses.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Really, go to Indiamike as suggested above. You'll get tons of good advice. There are many threads devoted to this specific topic there.

On my last visit, I ate *everywhere* and only experienced one painful illness in the course of several months. I lived, but Typhoid and Hepatitis can EFF you up. If you think a little diarrhea is worse than serious illness than I pray for your continued ignorance.

It won't matter much really, though, if you do get sick as India is full of professional doctors. You can carry high grade antibiotics in advance that are cheaper to buy when you arrive there.

India remains my favorite country to visit for many, many reasons. If you haven't been before, prepare yourself for a total blast. I'm VERY jealous of your trip.

Which cities up North are you thinking of visiting? My own loaded, obnoxious itinerary advice: the Taj Mahal is extraordinary, but I will no longer suffer through Agra to visit it; Jaipur SUCKS unless you like shopping, in which case you will be in paradise; Delhi has lots of great destinations depending on your interests, but many people (not me) may feel frustrated by the sprawl. Your top two tourist destinations there should be Humayan's Tomb and the Qutab Minar, though there are also museums to visit. I'm fond of Purani Dilli, personally, but many people may be overwhelmed.

Have an awesome time!

 

[bankside]

I dunno. Don't they have a "travel clinic" in the phonebook? We have those here.

But then I live in Canada with evil communist medical system that is free for every comrade.

 

[pausanias_usa]

Last I heard, there were ELEVEN vaccinations recommended.

But you 1) you've had tetanus already -- if not, an overseas trip is considered "an emergency" so you can get it, 2) a or b hep? if you are over 24 you have been exposed already 8'/.

Rabies? Dengue fever? Malaria? Cure is worse than the disease.

Go for it!

 

[onetimething]

Thanks for the tips guys, both medically and in terms of spots to visit!

A point of clarification, in that I'm exaggerating when I say I fear diarrhea more than typhoid. Of course I recognize the seriousness of typhoid, hepatitis and malaria and their degrees of severity over diarrhea, but, well, at this point being that I have minimal time to get vaccinated or take pre-emptive care of avoiding those, I'm focusing mostly on diarrhea. Especially since it seems of all the blogs and firsthand stories I've heard, few Americans come back with serious diseases, but diarrhea gets many mentions.

I will be staying with a friend of my friend's family while in Delhi. I had initially intended on staying in a hotel or youth hostel but felt I couldn't say no to the family invite, although the living situation may not be the greatest. Diarrhea sucks anywhere, but suffering in the confines of a private room with Western toilets I feel is much better than suffering in a crowded home full of strangers with I'm-not-even-sure-what kind of bathroom.

This is my first trip to India, and also my first trip to a country considered (as much as I dislike the term) "third world", so I am more than a bit nervous. Having my friend along with me, who is of Indian descent and lived there until he was 11, helps in the sense that I feel if god forbid, anything medically serious were to happen, he'd know what to do and where to go.

Travel clinics and doctors who specialize in this are surprisingly hard to find. Or perhaps I'm just inexperienced in navigating the health care system. I just obtained health insurance this past January and haven't been to the doctor in years. You'd think this being NYC, information and specialists would be plentiful, but I've had a very difficult time finding information. I've cold-called hospitals and doctors with little success, and the few times I've gotten referrals, have been told that the doctor accepts no new patients, and on top of that, they don't take insurance, AND of course wouldn't be able to fit me in anytime soon. This definitely brings home the point though that I need to find a primary care doctor in case of instances like this in the future.

Initially, I had intended on doing a lot of traveling by myself, to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai and Goa, but it looks like I will be cutting Mumbai and Goa due to distance and time constraints (initially I was to go for three weeks) and instead making Delhi my central base, heading out for day trips quite a few times. I've been contemplating going to Shimla and/or Darjeeling as well.

 

[rareboy]

The one thing I'll point out is that you've already left some vaccinations too late.

Our travel med clinic recommended six weeks prior to trip.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Chances are that you may suffer some diarrhea. My understanding is that as you adapt to a different area of the world, so too must your friendly bacterial multitudes adopt. Problem is, the locals don't like your foreign bacteria and a battle ensues. Eventually, the local bacteria in your gut kill all of your imports and peace rumbles to stability. However, the interim may cause digestive upset. I eat shit tons of curds (aka yogurt) when I first arrive to get into the groove. A few weeks isn't long for this transition to take place, though.

Many people I know will forcefully argue otherwise, and with good reasons. But to be honest, I never do the vaccinations, definitely not the stupid malaria pills. And I've always been more or less fine. You will be, too.

You're making THE BEST CHOICE by staying with friends of the family. The good hotels in Delhi cost an arm and a leg, the hostels can be pretty scuzzy. But way more important than the issue of money is the issue of Indian home hospitality. Indians have got this shit down tight. As a guest, you're going to be treated wonderfully, like royalty. You get to be part of the fun, not stuck away in some arid hotel. You'll see. Plus good Indian home-cooking! Sigh. I'm getting jealous again.

Two weeks in India is a whirlwind trip. I don't think there are too many day trips outside of the city to make, but surely there are experts on Indiamike who would know more. Keep in mind that the airlines in India are now not much more expensive than the trains, and in my opinion (even inspite of romantic memories to the contrary) a much cleaner, faster, and less infuriating way to travel. You may find that a flight to Varanasi (for example) would be preferable to a day trip outside Delhi.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Oh, I'm not a doctor or a medical expert of any sort, just offering a poetic myth on the portents from my bowels. Do stand back.

But it fits with my experiences, including returns home.

 

[star-warrior]

We had injections before going to China, because the risk of TB and stuff. It had to be done a month before going, IIRC, so that the antibodies were in good order.

Anyhow, have it done as soon as you can.