Davey lad

As Kedi says there are no mandatory injections for Turkey. We have been many times and never had injections. One year we
did get injections but only because we travelled to Tunisia a month or two before visiting Turkey.

Hep A may be a good idea ??? just make sure you wash your hands, dont drink the water and make sure your food is well cooked.
We have been going for years, i have Hep A, husband dosnt bother, hes had prob twice in all the years ive never had a problem, but think its just the luck of the draw really, but no harm getting the injection.

Ask you GP what they recommend and go with what they say, if you catch something and you haven't had the jabs don't be surprised if your insurance is invalidated, I remember reading about a case 7 or 8 years back where a bloke was landed with a £40K bill which his insurance refused to pay out because his GP surgery recommended jabs and he caught typhoid.

I will try and find the article

On this forum a frequent answer to this question is "I've been going for years and never had a problem" and this is true most people have never has a problem but isn't it better to be safe than sorry, I recommend that you check with your GP and if they do recommends jabs and you decide not to have them confirm with your insurance company that you will still be covered, remember the jabs are free and it only takes an hour.

If you want some facts then carry on reading.

Typhoid, Hep A and Tetanus are all present in Turkey, mainly in the south east but remember people come from the south east to work in the resorts, someone who has had typhoid may seem totally OK but they can be infectious for a year, if you want to know the symptoms they are as follows:-

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 (245000 cases in Turkey 1996-2006 see Here )

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%.

Dave

The above vaccinations are actually recommended for all mediterranean countries and everyone should have their tetanus every 10 years in this country too.

You don't need a tetanus every 10 years. If you have had 5 in your lifetime then you are covered.

That is something new I have learnt - I don't think I have had 5 yet though

This topic comes up every year about this time and i am sure there must be pages and pages of advise on it somewhere if you search .There are always those who refuse to believe that you need jags for turkey and there are also those who believe you do .Jags are highly reccommended for people who have illnesses such as diabetes and the likes ,before you make up you mind have a wee look at the link below.

http://www.nathnac.org/ds/c_pages/country_page_TR.htm#vpr

hi there, well i have to say i always tended not to bother with vaccinations as i was going to tourist parts however in 2006 i spent a lot of time in hatay a non tourist bit therefore last year when i went for the season i knew me n hubby would spend time in both marmaris and hatay therefore i decided i was better to get my jabs afterall it was only £10 altogether!this made me feel bit better when i was in hatay as obviously conditions arent like marmaris!
*i got the diptheria,polio and tetanus jabs which last 10 years.
*hep 1 and typhoid which last 3 years or a further 25 years if you get the booster a year later.
so your not getting every year and look at what your hol is costing you if it will give you peace of mind, bear in mind though these jabs dont solve everything lol, last year in hatay despite taking precautions i still ended up ill with tummy cramps, diarrhoea etc! take care and enjoy!xxx

This is the website that our practice nurse refers to:

http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/home.aspx

I would read that and then check with your surgery - and take the professional advice.

I don't think any vaccinations will prevent tummy upsets.
Change in routine and diet (maybe eating more spicy food, more fruit, drinking more alcohol) can result in diarrhoea and upset tummy.
I think the key to managing diarrhoea is not to let it get out of control.
Use Immodium or Arret type medication at the first sign of problems. Drink plenty of bottled water and steer clear of spicy, oily food.

Regardless of where I go, I always take some no-water hand cleaning gel.

we went last year with an 11 year old and never had any we stayed in sarigerme the only thing was the mossies there was loads

I've always had my jabs but that is due to having a had a serious health problem in the past.

With regards to tummy upsets, it is also wise to have some re-hydration powders, our practice nurse also recommended flat Coke is also pretty useful for an upset tummy (not sure why though).

Most people assume Imodium is the thing to take for diarrhoea and for simple tummy upsets its fine, however should you have a infection, food poisoning etc that will need an antibiotic its the last thing you should take. diarrhoea is the bodys way of getting rid of infection and imodium stops that,the problem is knowing if you have an infection or not.

I usually take a couple of spoon fulls of bisto

Ha, ha. The old bisto joke - doesn't cure it but certainly thickens it.

my family are heading to the belek area for 2 weeks in august - do we need any vaccinations? the holiday firm say no but my doctor's surgery say yes (not sure which ones they said as wife spoke with them).

thanks for any help you can offer.

Go with your Doctor's advice, Personally I have never had a Vaccination to go to Turkey and this was with Doctor's advice also, I was asked what part of Turkey are you going to, I repled South West Turkey and was told no vaccination are needed.

I am a pharmacist, yes it is recommended to get travel vaccines before travelling to turkey. In my experience however, very few people actually do for turkey, i'm not sure why.
Better safe than sorry though, wouldn't you say?

I cant say I have heard anything like this to go to Turkey.
I am sure if that was the case, the Travel Agent/Tour Operator should mention it. However saying that, I wasn't even told about the £10 visa charge you need to pay at the airport on arrival. Someone from work told me.

Lisa

dont take unqualified advice see HERE for the current NHS/gvenment recomendations

wizard