www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Looking for some sincere input on vaccinations. There are some listed as "recommended", but I am curious if much of it is common in country.

We will be in SJ, LaFortuna, Jaco, and other areas we are pointed towards by locals and expats as "must see".

The list of vaccines include:
Hep A
Hep B
Polio
Rabies
Typhoid
Yellow Fever

Thank you for your advice.

TX Mike

I got mono ... not sure if they can defend against it though. I would say (if you have a hearty constitution) get them all. Better safe than sorry.

If you try to 'pick n choose', then Murphy will get you and you'll be the first monger to catch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis.

_________________
bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

I would get Hep A/B and Typhoid, forget the others, waste of money and possible side effects.

txmike:

You may also want to check with the State Department and/or your Doctor for recommendations.

I did exactly that. Great advice and the local pharmacy can do the Hep aB

Isn't Yellow Fever shots a must for visiting some Latin/South American countries?

Devo

_________________
The most dangerous adversaries are the ones that come with a smile instead of a sword

Turns out that CR does require it IF you are coming from certain countries where Yellow Fever is a problem. It is not required when coming from the US.

Anyone reading this post in prep for a trip, be sure to take care of it ahead of time, months. The Hep A and B are multi-course treatments. The nurse claimed that on the 1st shot you are 80-90% covered for Hep A and 30% for Hep B. The 2nd round is at the 30 day mark (or just after), then at the 6 month mark.

The local grocery store pharmacy will do the TwinRix (dual Hep A/B) shots much cheaper than my doc or a specialized travel vaccination place.

The Vivotif Oral Thyphoid vaccine is a four pills (total) course over 8 days. The pharmacy claimed you need a scrip for that.

One last thing the travel med place recommended is bringing a course of Cipro with us in case of intestinal issues strike, along with gatoraid mix powder and probiotic pills.

Hopefully all of this is over doing it a bit, but giving the close proximity we are hoping to have with some of the interesting people there, better safe than sorry.

bud, if I had read this crap earlier, I would have put off going. You go on Cipro while in a foreign country, you might as well reserve a room at the local hospital. Either that or expect to live in the airplane head the entire trip home.

_________________
bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

You can buy Diacort(an antibiotic, I think) in a pharmacy if you have stomach or intestinal problems. They may also recommend a bottle of electrolyte and some other medicine to prevent nausea to go along with the Diacort. You could take some Gatoraid powder with you for the electrolyte, but all three things together costs less than $20.

...Because it also kills all the good bacteria in your gut that literally help you keep your sh!t together. Bad idea to use it as a prophylaxis.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Always us a strong Probiotic while on and after a course of Antibiotics. This will help replace the good flora in the stomach.

What is Probiotic? Pardon my ignorance.

a nutritional supplement of good bacteria for the gut.

or to be more complete: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic << not all that much has been proved, but it can't hurt. Idea first suggested by a Nobel Prize winner in 1907. What happens though (and this isn't a joke) when probiotics meet broad-spectrum antibiotics?

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Nothing on your list is required for a visit to CR from the US. As mentioned, proof of Yellow Fever vaccination is required if entering CR from some S.A. countries. Most notably Colombia. If you are from a First World or Developing country you should already be vaccinated for Polio. When I was a K*D they gave us sugar cubes with a drop of the vaccine on them at school. I don't know how it is administered these days. I have not heard of routine vaccination for Rabies, only treatment if required. Typhoid is not a concern in CR. It couldn't hurt to be vaccinated for Hep A & B but again, there is not a serious problem with these in CR.

One good thing Uncle Sam did for me... vaccinated me against just about anything known to man.

_________________
Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western