Immunizations and Roatan

[DandyDon]

You're basically choosing the risk of acute kidney failure and coma, not to mention death, against the risk of exacerbation of psoriasis and the nuisance of having to remember to take a weekly medication for 4 weeks after you return. Hey, it's your body and your choice, but I'm definitely with Dandy Don on the eye-rolling.

Yeah, I never try to talk anyone into taking the chloroquine and I am sure you don't intend to either. It is a personal call and I know that many don't, but it's not something to be taken lightly. My LDS owers said that they quit taking the prophylaxis as it made them ill; I suspect that they called their doc, asked for malaria prevention, and he gave them a script for the overseas strain. Many American docs don't take the time to look at CDC but just prescribed what the drug rep told them I guess; I took my laptop with me once and showed my doc what the CDC suggested and he was cool with that. He is from Mexico, but not a part that ever gets Malaria so didn't give it much prior thot I don't guess.

I think that the only people who have a significant resistance to Malaria are those with African heritage that carry one gene for Sickle Cell Anemia, which is why the gene and the disease co-exist in Africa. Bad when a kid gets two genes but good when the child only gets one from one parent donor. Seems like that applies to some Middle Eastern population origins too?

I once knew a physician & diver originally from Africa, who goes home to visit at times, and even tho she had survived Malaria as a child - still takes the destination appropriate prophylaxis for Roatan or Africa. Too many different strains to count on immunity I suppose?

Oh, I used to have a problem remembering to take all of my pills after I got back. Now I just use my email calendar to remind me. It sends me reminders twice a week on computer scans, other reminders monthly for haircuts & such, so I have it send me one every week for four weeks on the pills.

 

[cunamara]

According to the CDC's "Malarial Map Application" Honduran malaria is comprised of: P. vivax 50-95%, P. falcuparum 5-50%

So CDC estimates of falciparum (the deadly kind) range from 5% to 50% country-wide, unless you have a better source of info about Roatan specifically. Not sure I'd make the claim that "the variety found on Roatan is not the more dire sort" even if the true number there is closer to 5%.

I lived on Roatan for 10 years and never knew anyone there who had the "falciparum" variety of malaria. I know cases were reported on rare occassion but they were associated with people who had recently been on the mainland, particularly in the Misquito Coast area. Transmission relies on misquitoes have access to infected individuals and, because they are nearly nonexistent on Roatan, tranmsmission is extremely unlikely. In any case, taking chloroquine prophylactically will cover you for either variety. Chances of geting malaria are low but, if you have no immunity from prior experience, then there is some risk of ruining 4-5 days of your trip.

 

[lulubelle]

Roll your eyes all you want to gentleman, you know nothing of my personal medical situation or of my professional background which allows me to consider my personal choices with a more detailed view.

I was not advising the OP to take or not take the CDC's recommendations, I was simply recommending that rather than following them blindly, that he discuss the recommendations with his physician. I generally go to the Duke travel clinic if I am going somewhere where I have the likelihood of being exposed to something not in my native environment and discuss my options with them.

It is all about calculated risk, and there are some for whom the risk of immunizations can be significant and possibly outweigh the likelihood of being exposed to the disease for which the immunization is designed to prevent.

 

[DandyDon]

Roll your eyes all you want to gentleman, you know nothing of my personal medical situation or of my professional background which allows me to consider my personal choices with a more detailed view.

I was not advising the OP to take or not take the CDC's recommendations, I was simply recommending that rather than following them blindly, that he discuss the recommendations with his physician. I generally go to the Duke travel clinic if I am going somewhere where I have the likelihood of being exposed to something not in my native environment and discuss my options with them.

It is all about calculated risk, and there are some for whom the risk of immunizations can be significant and possibly outweigh the likelihood of being exposed to the disease for which the immunization is designed to prevent.

Haha ok, that's certainly not what you said before. Better answer.

 

[lulubelle]

Haha ok, that's certainly not what you said before. Better answer.

It certainly is not in conflict with what I said before. What I said before is how I would approach this choice myself for myself. Two of you gave me the good old eye roll for me expressing my opinion about how I would manage this situation. I never stated one way or the other what the OP should or shouldn't do as people with medical licenses should avoid giving specific medical advice to people with whom they do not have a patient relationship.

It is key to consider what the incidence and prevalence of these diseases is in the regions that you will actually be traveling in. It is also important to consider the risk benefit ratio for your individual situation. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a one size fits all approach here. The whole might be better served by everyone getting immunizations all of the time. However, there are many cases in which the individual might be trading one risk for an even bigger one.

 

[cunamara]

Can't seem to find where to unsubscribe to this thread. Any guidance welcome.

 

[Doc]

Can't seem to find where to unsubscribe to this thread. Any guidance welcome.

:sblogo: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/site-support/319919-help-me-quit-getting-email-updates-posts.html

(PM not sent)

 

[rakay]

I was told typhoid is every 2 years. I just got my booster this week.

 

[DandyDon]

I was told typhoid is every 2 years. I just got my booster this week.

There is a 2 year and a 5 year available in Lubbock, but I don't know the details beyond that as I never got there in business hours. Your provider may not carry the 5 year, and I have no idea why both exist?

 

[cylonboomer]

AS it turns out, I work for an international company, and their local doc gave me tetanus, typhoid, hep a and b. I opted out of the malaria meds. I'll bring a lot of deet with me.

Clear water!