Morning all
Looking for some advice on holiday vaccinations for Caribbean. I've seen the recommended list is yellow fever and rabies etc. Just wondering if these vaccines will be "ok" for P M R sufferers. I'm currently on a very low dose 1.5 and hope to be pred free by the time I go (next march) just wondering what the general consensus is. Many thanks.
The CDC recommendations
cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrht...
say under Precautions
"Altered immune states. Infection with yellow fever vaccine virus poses a theoretical risk of encephalitis to patients with immunosuppression in association with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or other manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, leukemia, lymphoma, generalized malignancy, or to those whose immunologic responses are suppressed by corticosteroids, alkylating drugs, antimetabolites, or radiation. Such patients should not be vaccinated. If travel to a yellow fever-infected zone is necessary, patients should be advised of the risk, instructed in methods for avoiding vector mosquitoes, and supplied with vaccination waiver letters by their physicians. Low-dose (10 mg prednisone or equivalent) or short-term (less than 2 weeks) corticosteroid therapy or intra-articular, bursal, or tendon injections with corticosteroids should not be immunosuppressive and constitute no increased hazard to recipients of yellow fever vaccine. Persons who have had previously diagnosed asymptomatic HIV infections and who cannot avoid potential exposure to yellow fever virus should be offered the choice of vaccination. Vaccinees should be monitored for possible adverse effects. Since the vaccination of such persons may be less effective than that for non-HIV-infected persons, their neutralizing antibody response to vaccination may be desired before travel. For such determinations, the appropriate state health department or CDC ((303) 221-6400) may be contacted. Family members of immunosuppressed persons, who themselves have no contraindications, may receive yellow fever vaccine."
At 1.5mg and hopefully even lower by then it shouldn't pose a problem.
What sort of holiday are you going on and where? I'm pretty sure I didn't have a rabies jab before I went to the Caribbean either time and I think your likelihood of exposure is a feature:
cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/p...
As far as I can see, the requirement for rabies in the Caribbean depend on the island and what you intend doing there. This
fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destina...
lets you search for the individual island requirements and the level of exposure risk is given.
Thanks for your reply. We are looking at a cruise docking in Bahamas st Lucia etc.so will be tourist spots only.
Then I suspect the rabies pre-exposure jab is a bit OTT!
That's good to hear ! Thankyou ! What vaccines did you have before your trip? Were you ok ?
Lord, I can't remember, both times over 30 years ago! And both times for work!
Do check each county individually using the link PMRPro has posted. If it is general advice on the cruise info to have yellow fever, don’t take it as read that you need it. For for travel website will also give rabies advice. I have to say that for St Lucia it was not needed for package tourists and to stay there . Whatever travel clinic you go to should do a risk assessment for everything and risks of Yellow fever vaccine that increases with those near or over 60. Personally, if I didn’t definitely need YF I wouldn’t have it. The main thing is start at least six weeks in advance because if you need other live vaccines they need to be given 4 weeks apart. Also, take mosquito repelling seriously, there are no vaccines for dengue and Chikungunya fever.
Thankyou I think I will book a travel consultation with a practice nurse...just looking to hear from any of you guys that have done a similar trip and how you were after the jabs etc. Thanks again.
It’s too variable to say. I did notice that patients having YF vaccine often had side effects a few weeks later.
l have never had to have Vaccinations for the Caribbean either before PMR & or since.
We had to have a jolly old assortment for Mauritius but then we didn’t need anything else for the Far East.
Dengue was at a high risk when we were in Brazil & it’s usually not an issue at the coast - so my poor old Husband never got into Rio or up Sugar Loaf Mountain (the mosquitoes love him, but not me! So l was able to go & l have the Amethyst to prove it! 💜
Check the appropriate Websites & Recommendation but often they are only recommended if you plan to go inland (Rain Forest etc)
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