Immunizations

Ouch! I had two shots yesterday and my arms are still sore. Since we're going to Mongolia in a couple of months, we thought we'd better get up to date on the shots that are recommended for travel in that country.

Here's what we ended up with:
Recommendations or Requirements for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Routine
Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG)
Recommended for all unvaccinated people traveling to or working in countries with an intermediate or high level of hepatitis A virus infection (see map) where exposure might occur through food or water. Cases of travel-related hepatitis A can also occur in travelers to developing countries with "standard" tourist itineraries, accommodations, and food consumption behaviors.
Hepatitis B
Recommended for all unvaccinated persons traveling to or working in countries with intermediate to high levels of endemic HBV transmission (see map), especially those who might be exposed to blood or body fluids, have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment (e.g., for an accident).
Typhoid
Recommended for all unvaccinated people traveling to or working in East Asia, especially if visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas and staying with friends or relatives where exposure might occur through food or water.
Rabies
Recommended for travelers spending a lot of time outdoors, especially in rural areas, involved in activities such as bicycling, camping, or hiking. Also recommended for travelers with significant occupational risks (such as veterinarians), for long-term travelers and expatriates living in areas with a significant risk of exposure, and for travelers involved in any activities that might bring them into direct contact with bats, carnivores, and other mammals. Children are considered at higher risk because they tend to play with animals, may receive more severe bites, or may not report bites.

We ended up getting the DPT booster, the Typhoid oral dosage and the Hepatitis A&B shot series. We opted out of getting the rabies shot, even though we're sure to see some stray (possibly rabid) dogs. Hopefully they won't chase us or bite us. Who knows which crazy places we'll go to with E. Andy. I know we'll be drinking only bottled water and we'll even take some food, but who knows what other crazy food we'll eat? Who knows what air we'll breath while traveling over and back on the airplane? We thought it was better to be safe than sorry. We've already had the H1N1 vaccine.

Total cost $143 each with two more Hepatitis shots still to come.I've had a headache and tiredness today big time. It's like I have each of those six illnesses in a mini version I guess. I think I'll go lie down.