Travel immunizations?

    • Anonymous
      June 2, 2010 at 10:40 am

      Good morning,

      I will try to be concise. I got stung by a bee under the eye a few days ago. I called my pcp to see if I should get a tetanus shot. I was advised due to my past history with GBS it was probably better that I not get one. I am travelling to Tanzania in mid-September and one of the required travel immunizations is for yellow fever. The nurse said I may not be able to get various travel immunizations due to my history. Unfortunately, I cannot schedule my visit to the travel clinic too far in advance of the trip to definitively know. However, payment is due mid-June. I would hate to pay for the trip only to find out that I cannot/should not get the required immunization(s) to enter the country. Has anyone run into such a situation and what were you advised? Thank you in advance for any information.

    • Anonymous
      June 2, 2010 at 11:38 am

      Hmmm,

      First of all, I don’t have GBS. Still got advice though.

      I’ve traveled, in the past. I used a ‘travel’ doctor for my shots.

      Having said that, after watching a show called “Monsters Inside Me” my own personal choice is that I’m not going to any ‘exotic’ tropical foreign land place. Period.

      Here, for example, is what Mayo clinic says “…Guillain-Barre may be triggered by: …Rarely, rabies or influenza immunizations.” Of course they say a lot more, here: Please take note of the additional warning about “infection with campylobacter.”

      [url]http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/guillain-barre-syndrome/DS00413/DSECTION=risk-factors[/url]

      As I recall, which ain’t much, the general advice is to avoid influenza vaccines, not all vaccines. I’m sure you can find arguments, for and against ,adnauseum on the ‘net.

      One of the sources I trust, the NIH, says “…There is little evidence to support a causal association with most vaccines…” There’s way too much to quote. Read it here: [url]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19388722[/url]

      Good luck making your decision.

      p.s. note that the NIH specifically mentions tetanus. But, they also mention “use caution and GBS” in the same article.

      Out of an abundance of caution- I ain’t going. Oh, I said that….