Vaccinations

[Jacde]

Good folk of WB'ers I seek your knowledge :)
I found out today along with Yellow fever I need a few more vaccnitatons before I go to Kenya to do the charity cycle ride. (Rabies, Hep B and typhoid)
Do any of you have recent experience of vaccinations, did you use your gp or did you go to a travel clinic (if so where is clinic located?)
Did you source your own vaccine or did you rely on gp/clinic to provide it and what was the cost.

Ta muchly [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Squashed_Fly]

I had to have them last year to go to Tunisia. Not quite as many as you though! The three main ones are given as 1 injection, which was free at my gp. They also do the others but not sure on cost. I do know that you need to have them a little while before you go tho so give gp plenty of notice

[Honda_Star]

I needed a few for Thailand - I did it through my gp but def give them plenty of notice as some need to be done some time before you leave

[Ducatista]

I usually use my GP although they need at least 4 weeks notice, so don't leave it too late.
Most are free, but I think you might have to pay for some of the more unusual ones like yellow fever.

Left it too late one year (after 9/11).
No GP would help even with 3 weeks notice, they are quite inflexible on their time scale.
Had to have jabs privately and it cost us £120 each and that was 10 years ago and for standard stuff.

So best advice is give your GP plenty of notice to get free/cheap rates.

[Hazel-nut]

in 2005/06 when i had all mine for kenya i was with frome doctors and saw a differerent nurse every time i went in! the BCG i had to go to Bath for though, which was a pain as you have to go twice for a 5 minute appointment which cost about £40 a go i think!
the malaria tablets i managed to get cheap as a friend i was going with, her parents ran a pharmacy in bath so he could get them a bit cheaper once i had spoken to the dr about which ones to get!

hope the injections dont hurt too much or break the bank for you

[Jacde]

Just trying to find out if anyone shopped around and managed to get a better deal by doing so.
Rabies is about £140 from dr but I've been looking online this morning and can see one company sells it for £45!
I know enough nurses who could inject me it's just that I need a prescription, I guess my tight fisted money grabbing gp won't give me a script when they can make £100 out of me grrrrr! >:(

[silly_simon]

Jackie
The hep B is quite an expensive one aswell :o

My company originally told us we needed it then when we told the manager what the cost was ( £80 ish IIRC) they decided we didn't need it after all ::)

[Mitch9128]

Which one is it that makes your arm feel like it's been twatted with a lump hammer? Yellow Fever? Personally i think i'd rather have it, rather than the injection again!

[wiltshire builders]

I had them when I went to Costa Rica and got them done at the Halo clinic in 'nam. It was all free including Maleria Tablets as I new the duty sister and she used some kind of loop-hole. The tablets were Avloclor and I had no side effects and no side effects either. ;D

[CBRowner]

We get jabbed up to the max when we go to Kenya. You'll also need anti malaria tablets as well and they're about 45 quid per week not including the ones you take once a week.

You can get all the info from the tourism website. They'll have info on all the jabs you need for each location as well as giving you knowledge on current issues where you're going or you can book an appointment with the travel clinic at your local med center.

The most important thing you'll need is insurance because we're forever bringing back Brits who've become ill and then we send them the bill.

[Uber Dave]

Which one is it that makes your arm feel like it's been twatted with a lump hammer? Yellow Fever? Personally i think i'd rather have it, rather than the injection again!

Yup, my arm swelled up quite a large amount and I could hardly use it for anything for a few days, gave me a huge headache too and flu like symptoms for a week, no wonder they gave me it in the first few days of joining the military!

[Jacde]

Mitch and Dave, Sadists, the pair of you!!! :-?
No where in my question did I ask you to tell me how painful it's going to be, go on the pair of you, go stand in the corner for 10 minutes ::)

[Scaredy_Cat]

Which one is it that makes your arm feel like it's been twatted with a lump hammer? Yellow Fever? Personally i think i'd rather have it, rather than the injection again!

Agreed! When I had my jabs for Kenya done, all of them were given in the same arm except the yellow fever. Ached like hell for a few days, then one of the lovely chaps I work with decided to do a "pinch, punch, first of the month" - guess where the punch landed!??!? >:(

[mcicy]

When I went travelling I had all of mine done at the GP's although I remember my arms aching for days after, both of them so I am guessing multiple ones make you feel like you can't lift a pen

[CBRowner]

Jackie,

I have loads of anti malaria tablets left over (they're still in date) that you can have, which should save you a fortune.

As for your jabs, I've pasted a section below informing you what you'll require as recommended by the FCO

The current recommended travel protection for Kenya is to have yellow fever, typhoid and hepatitis A injections.

These are usually well tolerated but can cause mild side effects occasionally, such as flu like feeling, headaches or a slight rash for a day or two.

There should also be malaria prevention tablets taken before, during and after the trip.

The regimen is currently usually mefloquine tablets (one tablet a week) or doxycycline although this should not be taken by children or pregnant women.

Ask your doctor or practice nurse about all these requirements and they will be able to sort out what you need.

You may need to go to a special yellow fever centre for that injection if your practice does not provide this service.

I hope this helps :)

P.S. The jabs don't hurt ;)

[Col]

:o :o Wouldn't it be less hassle to cycle round Cotswold Wildlife Park or a zoo :D

[Jacde]

:o :o Wouldn't it be less hassle to cycle round Cotswold Wildlife Park or a zoo :D

Col why couldn't you have suggested that months ago??? ;D ;D ;D