Repositioning Cruises - Shots / Immunizations

[Cap]

For the two 2005 Repositioning Cruises, which will go though the Panama Canal and dock at Curacao and Puerto Quetzal, are there any recommended shots / immunizations that cruisers should get, beyond the "normal" "live in the USA" shots? Somehow I associate the Panama Canal area with Yellow Fever and Malaria, although that's probably no longer correct.

 

[angelaj]

That's a very good question, and one I hadn't even considered. I just went on the website for the Centers for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

then went to the drop-down menu and chose Central America and Mexico. Besides the list of shots, there is also good information about other ways to stay healthy. Here are the recommended shots:

CDC recommends the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):

See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or be exposed through medical treatment.
Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.
Yellow fever for travelers to Panama who will be going outside urban areas.
As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not receive the series as infants.

 

[ivanova]

malaria, yellow fever & dengue fever are all mosquito related ... if you aren't hiking through rain forests, and use a DEET bug repellant while onshore at various ports, you'll probably be fine ... but you should probably ask your family doctor.

also, dengue fever has no vaccine, so preventing bug bites is a biggy.

you can ask your doc for an antimalarial drug which you'll have to take before, during & after your trip.

 

[mostyn17]

I just called DCL, she said as of now, there is no requirement for shots. The only way they would require it is if the government said so. That is good news!! Also, she said a passport is not necessary! A birth certificate is fine. I'm still getting a passport.....that would be creepy getting stuck in one of those places with no proof of where you are from!!

Hope this helps!!

Travis

 

[Verandah Man]

Originally posted by mostyn17
I just called DCL, she said as of now, there is no requirement for shots. The only way they would require it is if the government said so. That is good news!! Also, she said a passport is not necessary! A birth certificate is fine. I'm still getting a passport.....that would be creepy getting stuck in one of those places with no proof of where you are from!!

Hope this helps!!

Travis

Thanks for the tips, DW and I went this evening to get our passport photos taken. We are sending out our applications in the morning, hopefully, they will be back in time to use for this years cruise. I feel better leaving our birth certificates at home. All three of us are due to get our tetanus shots again this year, so we will be taking care of that before August as well.

 

[TootyJane]

Just cruised through the Panama Canal this past February. I, too, was concerned about immunizations so I called my local health department. The woman said there were no specific immunizations necessary as there were no outbreaks reported and that what the CDC recommendations that angelaj posted above were really a personal choice especially if the cruise was only going through the Panama Canal without making any stops. Since we were stopping in Gamboa, she did mention to bring a bug repellant containing DEET, especially if you were hiking through any rain forests or for early evening hours when mosquitos are out and she suggested updating your tetanus vaccines. HTH.

 

[webray]

malaria is recommended if you plan to take any excursions into the rain forest. If you are just staying around central parts of town..nothing.

Other than that..we updated our adult shots...tetnus...hepatitis A and B before we went on our very first cruise.

While there are not any immunization requirements...it is better safe than sorry.

 

[Scott H]

Hep A & B and Tetnus are good to have along with tetnus. Also get a yellow health form to carry along with your passport. Sorry I don't know the official name for the yellow form/book. It basically documents your imunixations.

Anti malaria drugs are probably not necessary, but shout you decide to use them I would avoid Larium (sp). I have seen folks get some pretty vivid dreams. This is one of the potential side effects of Larium.

the CDC is a good source in info.