Vaccines

[cabaret]

Hi There- I have a question you might have addressed before, but I didn't see it in the forum.

I asked my son's pediatrician why we no longer give children the polio vaccine.  She told me that it has been erradicated in the U.S., so unless you plan to go somewhere like Thailand, you will not need one.  I thought, "nuts, maybe I do want to go to Thailand!"  So, my question is-

Is polio really a problem in Thailand, or is my child's pediatrician not up to date on her vaccine data?  Is it one of the vaccines required to enter the Country?  Ok, that's two questions...

[Sean]

Great first topic Cabaret.

I'm not a doctor, but I have traveled extensively and had just about every inoculation there is.

Looking at Thailand specifically, the last reported case of Polio was in 1997.  Since then there have been extensive eradication efforts and in the coming years it will be declared "eradicated".  Same as the United States.

However such eradication efforts have not been carried out as efficiently in other countries specifically in parts of Africa. 

It is important to look at specific countries of travel and then make your own decisions based on stated risks.  Thailand like almost all countries does not "require" you to have any vaccinations (unless coming from a known yellow fever country, in which case you have to get that one).  Although even though I have been to Africa, I don't think I've ever had to show my vaccination card entering any of the 10+ countries since then.  Countries tend to be lenient on vaccination issues outside of epidemics, so it is important for each person to make there own fact based decisions regarding travel health.

Like I said I have had everything except Japanese Encephalitis (the risks outweigh the chances of me actually getting the diesease)  so I'd be happy to answer any questions.

[Nick]

That is a good question, one I have oft pondered myself. When was polio eradicated? I just wonder if I already got the shot and thus won't need it when I come to Thailand. I guess I could look this up myself...

[PK]

Interesting. I've never heard of polio being a problem here and I don't recall having to need a polio shot. But that was five years ago. Sean and thartley were recently vaccinated so they know more about current requirements.

Here's something found on this website.
Polio vaccine is not generally recommended for adult travelers who completed the recommended childhood immunizations, since polio has not been reported from Thailand for several years. A one-time booster of inactivated polio vaccine may be considered for extended travel to rural areas.

Wait, now that I think about it, I did see some Polio shirts for sale in a local market but I think they just misspelled Polo.

[thartley]

Hi Cabaret!  I have never traveled abroad before and I am from the United States.  I am 42 yrs old and received a polio vaccine as a child (the kind that left a scar on the upper arm).  When I was making my travel plans, I consulted the CDC website as well as my local health department (ask for Travel Medicine) and also the health office where I was working because we frequently have employees who travel all over Asia.  Because my travel plans include India and Africa in addition to Thailand, I did have to get my polio vaccine.  Turns out the one I got as a child was deemed ineffective.

I wrote a blog about this part of my preparation here. 

But for traveling out of the United States, even to say Africa, immunizations you need depend on the exact area you will be in and what you plan on doing while you are there.  I was told I would need to take an anti-malarial while I was here in Thailand, but where I am staying here in Nong Khai, there is no need.  If I were to go more rural than here or way out in the outlying areas for the most part, it may be different.

Hope some of this helps.  

[Nick]

Thanks Thartley for that info, very helpful! I actually have a morbid fear of shots, better get over that!

[Mus.]

That's funny, I have a morbid fear of the diseases I might get if I don't get vaccinated.

If I was going to travel to some country, I would probably get all the possible shots, no matter where I'm going. Just to be sure. Like, there could be some mosquito infected with some disease in some McDonald's in Toronto. You never know.

[cabaret]

Thanks everyone for all of the helpful information!  Now Sean, you said you were not a doctor, but did you perhaps play one on TV? 
So as I understand it, boosters yes, but if you have never had a polio shot before, then you should not get one.  Kirk, since vaccines are not required, do you think a vaccine campaign of awareness in Thailand would be helpful or upsetting?