BootsnAll Travel Community

Alright. I've been to Latin America before,-Colombia- so I had a ton of shots already.
Now I'm going to Mexico for long term, a few months.

I went to the doctors here in the UK. Had my Hepatitis A booster and Typhoid. A few hours later my Typoid arm started to hurt and i couldnt raise it above my head. That was heaps of fun.

Anyway. The nurse recommends that I have a Hepatitis B and Rabies shot cos i'm going for so long. Each disease needs 3 shots, therefore total of 6 shots.

Each shot costs £40. total= £240. I know you shouldnt compromise your health, but is the rabies worth taking? Has any seasoned traveller to mexico seen many foaming pups? UK has no rabies see. I'm considering buying a can of pepper spray incase some rabid beast ventures a little to close to me.

I'll take the Hep B I think. Not keen on doing the rabies. Though rabies is my worst nightmare for some reason.

Anyone had the rabies shot for Mexico?

quote:

is the rabies worth taking?

Nope. Save your money.

Nope. Its not even a preventive. It just gives you 24 hours to find a doctor!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Tortuga_traveller:
Nope. Its not even a preventive. It just gives you 24 hours to find a doctor!!!!

Yeah I thought as much. But theres still treatment if you do get bitten and get it seen to in time?

Am going ahead with the Hep B. Might be useful in the future looking at other places I might travel to.
Thanks for advice guys.

Sure. Rabies is still cured, if you get it at all.

In some of the more modern clinics, they've replaced the series of stomach shots with something more humane, I've heard.

Just go see a doctor as soon as possible.

I was expose to rabies about 12 years ago. They stopped giving shots in the stomach years before that. I got a total of 16 shots. Now they have a single shot treatment.

Hep B - on a side note - you ought to get even without the travel imho. People do actually catch that stuff in Europe and North America too.

Yeah, I was looking at a map of Hep B occurances and there was a greater risk of catching it in Spain and other parts of Europe than Mexico.
Also I went yesterday to my nurse for the second Hep B jab and it was a different nurse who told me that I should consider taking a Cholera drink. Apparently it helps if you get the squirts aswell as Cholera. Can anyone shed any light on Cholera?

Cheers

quote:

Can anyone shed any light on Cholera?

A light is the last thing you want to shine on cholera! Gross!

Rafo, your healthcare providers sound like salespeople. Do the nurses work on commission over there? Where are you going in Mexico?

I wouldn't worry about cholera. The vaccine they want to give you supposedly provides you with limited protection against e. coli infections in addition to cholera. But it won't protect you against "squirts" caused by other nasty things, of which there are many.

If you were on your way to West Africa where there's an epidemic of cholera right now I would say consider getting it, but not for Mexico. Just avoid raw shellfish and don't drink the water.

I know, crazy isn't it. Next they will be telling me to buy an oxygen tank and wear a bubble costume like a bubble boy. Since I know a lot of you guys know Mexico I thought I'd ask here if these things are necessary.

I'm going to Guadalajara for a few weeks, then I'm not sure where.
If I had all the medicine that the nurses recommended I'd end up broke or like Randle Patrick McMurphy!

Am sweating, felt sick at work and had a terrible headache. Might be the final Hep B jab saying hello......

enoughs enough,