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02-18-2009, 04:53 PM
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#1
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Guac it up!
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Immunizations for Argentina?
I'm outta here in 2 1/2 weeks to Argentina, and I'm a little worried about the immunizations I'll need since it's very possible I'll be traveling to the north. I currently don't have any health insurance (and won't when I'm there either....is this stupid?) which is why I haven't bought any vaccinations.
We plan on making a big circle south from Buenos Aires to Rio Negro, over to Chile, back in to Mendoza and up towards Salta. Iguazu is a possibility if there's time.
For those that have visited, what immunizations did you get, if any? What's recommended? I've done a lot of research, and checked out CDC, but I'm not sure just how vital the vacs are since money is so tight.
I've also been reading about a small yellow fever outbreak in Missiones province in January, but the yellow fever vac is so expensive! Any recommendations??
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Cheers! To friends, to lovers, to warm nights and cold drinks.
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02-18-2009, 07:00 PM
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#2
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Rabidly Xenophilic
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Austin Texas, but originally from Ann Arbor!
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Well insurance often wont cover vaccinations anyway...why not look for a vaccination when you get to BA? I would guess it's a bit cheaper there since supposedly everything medical costs more here.
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02-19-2009, 11:45 PM
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#3
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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I'm about to do 5 months in central and south america so i've been stuck by every kind of needle. You are luckily going to two of the healthier countries in south america.
This is what I've been vaccinated for:
Hep A
Hep B
TDAP = Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertusis (Whooping Cough)
Yellow Fever
Typhoid
With that said... I would take some cheap malaria pills (Malarone) and get the Yellow Fever shot and TDAP and Hep A. Typhoid I got because it is "rampant" in peru...However you should already have Hep B from school, Hep A you can get anywhere because it is transmitted by feces- mouth in food. Yellow fever vaccine and Hep A are both good for 10 years...TDAP for 5...Also, numerous countries will be requiring immunization against Yellow Fever for entry (already the case for Brazil). So if you travel a lot, Yellow fever vaccine is a sound investment.
Enjoy Argentina
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Illusions of powerlessness can crumble when no listens and no one obeys...
Where have I been? Well, thus far: Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Japan, The Netherlands...
Where do I want to go? Well...: Central and South America, South East Asia, More of Europe, North, West, and South Africa, and...most places.
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02-22-2009, 05:59 PM
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#4
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Guac it up!
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Location: Portland, Oregon
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Thank you!!
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Cheers! To friends, to lovers, to warm nights and cold drinks.
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02-23-2009, 11:30 PM
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#5
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Yoda
Join Date: Jan 2004
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First off, if you're leaving in 2.5 weeks it's almost certainly a little late in the game to be thinking about vaccinations. Typically you'll need to get those done (sometimes in stages) at least a month if not more in advance, except maybe for the Typhoid pill if you go that route. Also keep in mind that vaccinations are quite likely to make you feel like shit for a while... but that's totally subjective for each person.
BUT: I haven't been to S. America but I have been to India 3 times (soon to be 4) and I'll let you in on a little secret... I did not get any vaccines. And aside from the first trip, I did not take any malaria meds. I did not get sick, and I did not get malaria. (knock on wood for the next few times)
Feel free to go ahead and tell me how stupid you think I'm being but I'm sorry, I didn't have the $$$$ for rounds and rounds of vaccinations that are not entirely 100% proven to protect you (read up on them) and almost certainly make you feel crappy regardless.
On my last 2 trips I didn't take malaria meds because I decided that millions (MILLIONS!!) of people live their daily lives without them, and only a tiny fraction of people contract malaria. THAT SAID, malaria is absolutely not something I would want to fuck with, so it's a gamble. (This is why I take mosquito repellant.) But what made me decide not to take malaria meds was this: Doxycycline, the affordable malaria medication, is an antibiotic. Who wants to take antibiotics unless you absolutely have to? And Malarone is ABSOLUTELY NOT CHEAP despite what sleepisthecousinofdeath says (sorry, but it's just not. Unless you're Canadian or British maybe.) I did take Malarone on my first trip because I got some second-hand from a doctor friend who had just come back from Madagascar and had extra. HE PAID ALMOST $5 PER PILL FOR IT HIMSELF. Also Malarone needs to be started exactly 7 days before your trip to malaria-prone regions begins and needs to extend for 7 days after, so you have to buy 2 more weeks than your trip duration. FYI. Also, Malaria medication is a prophylactic and as such it does not prevent Malaria 100%. Generally speaking you absolutely can still contract Malaria, what the pills do is they lessen the symptoms and duration to a certain extent.
So, if that wasn't enough, the other reason I decided to go with mosquito protection instead of malaria medication is that Dengue Fever and Chikungunya are two very common mosquito-borne illnesses (in India anyway--I honestly don't know about S. America) for which there is NO protection and NO cure. So, I could choose to wreck my digestion from Doxy, lose a bunch of money from Malarone and still contract one of those two. Yes, I know, Malaria still sucks... which is why I'm just telling you this as my personal opinion, not a treatise on what is exactly right for you. It's cheesy but your mileage may vary.
Believe me, I've done a lot of research on this (I may end up living in India at a certain point). I hope this helps.
Last edited by space virgin; 02-23-2009 at 11:37 PM.
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03-07-2009, 02:07 PM
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#6
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Guac it up!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by space virgin
Feel free to go ahead and tell me how stupid you think I'm being but I'm sorry, I didn't have the $$$$ for rounds and rounds of vaccinations that are not entirely 100% proven to protect you (read up on them) and almost certainly make you feel crappy regardless.
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Yup, that about sums up how I feel. I'm not even sure I'm going to make it up to the real danger zones, so I'm probably just being paranoid. Malaria scares me, my grandpa got it. Thanks for all the info though! I'm going vac free this time, fingers crossed.
AND I'M LEAVING TOMORROW MORNING!!!! CheeeeHoooo
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Cheers! To friends, to lovers, to warm nights and cold drinks.
Last edited by AKguacamole; 03-07-2009 at 02:15 PM.
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03-07-2009, 04:13 PM
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#7
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An Optimistic Realist.
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Best of luck... I'm not a big fan of vaccines either unless they are pretty well proven.
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2014 : Europe: Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Rep, Germany, France, England
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03-08-2009, 07:49 AM
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#8
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TPunk Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2006
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You probably are already on your way, but hoping you have a great trip !!!
This is a great topic. Eventually I will be traveling to less hygenic countries and I will want to take precautions.
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Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary FALL 2012!!!
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03-09-2009, 09:45 AM
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#9
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TPunk. Recognize.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Philadelphia
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Quote:
some cheap malaria pills (Malarone)
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I just finished taking these...I believe they are actually the most expensive ones. Around US$10/pill and you need to take 2 days before entering and for a week after leaving the malaria-zone (so thats $90 on top of any days you might be exposed).
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