Other than making sure you remember to pack your toothbrush, getting your travel vaccinations BEFORE you go traveling an important thing to do.
A question you’ll find yourself asking before you go traveling is: ‘what vaccinations do I need before traveling?’. The answer being to go to your doc and ask him, before making another appointment to get them all done. Sound like too many trips to see the doctor? Fear not, we are creating a section for vaccinations, immunizations, shots, getting pricked, for each continent so you can be clued up before you see the doc and get those shots that could potentially save your life.
Make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute as some vaccinations require you to get more vaccinations at a later date. Go in at least a couple of months before and get everything done and dusted – don’t be the person who goes in a few days before and ends up freaking out seeing a rusty nail when you’re on the road.
Southeast Asia is a popular backpacking route so this easy guide will tell you the vaccinations you’ll need when backpacking in Asia:
What countries are this guide for?
Brunei
Cambodia
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar (Burma)
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
What travel vaccinations / shots do I NEED?
– Hepatitis A
– Hepatitis B
– Typhoid
– Diptheria / Tetanus / Polio – You should have these done anyway, and the good news is it’s all combined into 1 shot
What travel vaccinations are OPTIONAL?
These vaccinations are not a necessity but if you want to be extra safe and have peace of mind when traveling be sure to get these done:
– Japanese encephalitis
– Rabies (really expensive and not really worth it)
– Malaria – Good news is there are no needles involved but you’ll need to take malaria tablets with you… read up on it here
There are other bugs and diseases in SE Asia where there are no vaccines available. These include Dengue fever and of course HIV. There’s a high concentrate of Aids in Southeast Asia – so always make sure you (or your guy) wrap up. It might be a pain in the ass getting it out but I would say HIV is considerably worse!
If you’re unsure on any of the above shots or diseases look at our disease definition guide – this will make you want to get even the optional shots. Viewer discretion advised here….
One more thing, when you get your shots done remember to get them recorded in a booklet. Remember to keep it safe – it will prevent you from having unnecessary shots / injections later down the road.
So what are you waiting for? Go and get these done – better to be safe than sorry.
Duff