Scouser70

Posts: 47
(2/2/04 11:46)
Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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Are vaccination certificates (Hepatitis, Polio, Rabies, Typhoid etc) required/compulsory for UK visitors?

Have any of you regular visitors ever experienced problems with the above infections?.


kevinhawley

Gunesmotel - Olu Deniz
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Posts: 264
(2/2/04 14:16)
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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Hi Scouser,
Vaccinations are left entirely to your own discretion, they are not compulsory, I and my freinds and family have been going toTurkiye for about a dozen years now and have never had any injections and never had any problems other than the odd ear infections which has been put down to pools, + perforated ear drums etc.
But as i said it is entirely your decision on whether you have them or not, I do believe that you have to have them 2 or 3 weeks before going out there.
Hope this has helped........

Kev

dksbbs

Posts: 331
(2/2/04 23:48)

ezSupporter
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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Check with your Doctor, I and the wife plus kids all had the Typhoid, Hep A, Tetnus before going to Turkey 2 years ago, needed a booster last year, now covered for 10 years.

As Kevin said it is upto you in the end, but isn't it better to have piece of mind. I would also check whether your insurance would cover you if you catch the above and have not had the injections. All the above can be fatal, more details below, Check with your Doctor and follow their advice, injections in the UK are normally free.

All that said you will love Turkey.

Dave

HEP A?
Most people get better, symptoms can be severe, even deadly: high liver enzymes, high fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and telltale jaundice. Symptoms last 1 to 4 weeks.

Typhiod

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. Persons with typhoid fever usually have a sustained fever as high as 103° to 104° F (39° to 40° C). They may also feel weak, or have stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite. In some cases, patients have a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.

Tetnus

The incubation period from the time of the wound to the time of the symptoms is anywhere from a day to several months, with an average of about eight to nine days. Initially, individuals are very tired, irritable, have headaches, neck stiffness, and difficulty swallowing. Then comes the muscle rigidity and spasm, which you will have sustained contractions of muscles, specifically facial and jaw muscles, hence the term "lock jaw". The overall mortality rate is around 30%. In individuals over 60 years of age, it jumps to 50%.

Scouser70

Posts: 47
(3/2/04 13:22)
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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Thanks, folks, for your very informative postings. Though I already have most of the symptoms mentioned


aligclark

Posts: 165
(3/2/04 22:55)

ezSupporter
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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we went to turkey in oct for 1st time. we opted for vaccinations my motto better to be safe than sorry.
myself and hubby had 1 jab which was hepatirex (not sure if spelt right) combination jab of hepatitus and typhoid. we also had to have polio drops as we hadn't had for a long time.
the kids both being under 15 had to have separate jabs for the same but they didn't need the polio drops.
going to have the boosters as going again this year.
these were reccomended by the doctors and i think for the prescription charge of £2.60 for adults only it is worth having for peace of mind.
ali
sorry
i forgot prescription charges different in uk

Edited by: aligclark at: 3/2/04 22:56

sime10

Posts: 223
(4/2/04 0:09)

ezSupporter
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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Been to Turkey 4 times with no jabs No problems I suppose its upto the individual In my opinion not needed but I am not a doctor.
Simon

dreamingfish

Posts: 533
(4/2/04 14:29)
Re: Vaccinations - are they necessary?
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The vaccinations mentioned are not compulsory. (i.e the Turkish authorities will let you in if you have not had them) However for most holiday insurance policies, they will not cover you for any illness for which there is an advised vaccination which you did not take. IThis could lead to medical bills in the tens of thousands if you are unlucky enough to catch anything.
Its true that for the Tourist areas of Turkey there is very little chance of catching these diseases, but the majority of us do go on excursions, village trips and jeep safaris outside of resorts, where these illnesses are still in exsistance. At the end of the day the government doesn't collate and give out vaccination advices for no reason, and local resort hospitals abroad may not have the facilities we take for granted here.
The chances of you actually picking up a serious illness are minute, however you never can guarantee anything when it comes to illness and it has to be far better to be vaccinated, and not risk putting yourself or your children through a terrible (possibly life threatening) time whilst having no holiday insurance cover, than to put up with a couple of small injections and a stiff arm for an evening.