Vaccines

The recommended vaccines for the trip to Vietnam are:

• Hepatitis-A
• Hepatitis-B
• Polio Booster
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• Tetanus/Diphtheria
• Typhoid
• Malaria

Most people born after 1957 were vaccinated for MMR and if you were born prior to 1957 you are immune and the polio shot I would venture to say quite a few people have probably had. I know I have and I was born in 1968. Everyone knows that a tetanus shot is good for 10 years, right? OK, and unless you are traveling to the southern regions of VN you don't have to worry about Malaria.

LUCKY ME.

I have to get Hep-A ,Hep-B, tetanus, possibly Malaria and Typhoid. YUCK!! I had the first round of Hepatitis shots a month ago and got the second round yesterday. My arms were very sore and I was bruised for a week after the first shots, so I'm curious to see if I will be bruised since I'm not as sore. I also got my tetanus shot since it's been literally a million years since I had one. The last two I'm not going to decide on until I have a referral. There is plenty of time between referral and travel to get both of those. The Typhoid is a shot or a pill that can cause nausea, abdominal cramps and skin rash. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT! I may rule it out and take my chances. I really don't think I'll need it. The Malaria is a series of pills and you are safe for 33 days after you take the last pill, so it has to be timed perfectly. It also causes nausea or dizziness. Thankfully unless my child comes from Kien Gang or Vin Long I won't have to take it and I only have one more Hep-B shot left which I need to have sometime in the next 4-6 months.

The list of OTC "drugs" is so long. It's amazing all the stuff you have to bring. VN has some of the same OTC drugs there, but I get the feeling they aren't as strong as what we have here. I don't think they are "called" Tylenol, but acetaminophen instead. Get my drift.

Since my mom is definitely going with me she's had to get the shots as well. I keep telling Tim if he's going to go that he needs to get the shots started, but if you only have time to get two of the three Hep-B shots you are 75% covered. It's still an unknown as to when I will get a referral.

We should be getting another update today or tomorrow and I will ask my number on each list again. I'm hoping that we will have another referral since we've gone a week without one, but I'm leaning towards we'll be getting our referral(s) about once a month. I'm SO hoping that I'm wrong and that Thuy, CHI rep in VN, has enough sweetness to encourage the orphanages that CHI work with to throw us some referrals even though they are pissed at the US. I'm also hoping that Katherine, who is traveling now, worked her magic while she was there.