Vaccinations for Vietnam Trip Necessary?

manbearpig on 29/10/2019 - 18:21

I'm going to Vietnam next month for a week. I'll be mostly in the Da Nang area just chilling on the beaches and doing some sightseeing, but 2–3 days will be spent in Hanoi/Halong Bay.

I was looking at maybe Hep A and Typhoid shots, but I'm currently in Japan, and I was told by my doctor that Typhoid shots are usually not given here. I must go to a special travellers clinic that specialises in vaccinations.

My guess is that the two shots will cost about $100-200, as they will not be covered by public health insurance.

So my question for those that have been to Vietnam is: How long did you go for, and did you get the above shots?

Travel Asia Vaccination Vietnam

Comments

  • jjjaar on 29/10/2019 - 18:27

    I went for 3 days (then visited Cambodia for two weeks). I got vaccinations. Forget what tho, it was many moons ago. I didn’t get sick at least.

  • crentist on 29/10/2019 - 19:24
    -3

    just wear condoms

  • myusername on 29/10/2019 - 19:27

    i just had a typhoid shot.

    i know there's a recommended period of time you're meant to get the shot before you travel for it to be beneficial or something

    Hep A i'd get regardless

  • azn_envazn on 29/10/2019 - 19:36

    I went for 2 weeks and forgot to get shots and i was fine. I was in Saigon, Da Lat and Nha Trang and ate all the street food etc.

    If you can, get it regardless

  • ThunderLord on 29/10/2019 - 20:29
    +1

    Use this site:

    https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

  • Davo1111 on 29/10/2019 - 20:50

    generally for a week, no.

    But as an adult, you're supposed to have MMR

  • nubzy on 29/10/2019 - 21:44

    Hep A and typhoid recommended for most Asian countries. I had them and they made my arm sore for a week, never bothered to get the top up 6 months later. I'd rather save the money and take the risk, and if you are careful about hygiene/what you eat you shouldn't run into trouble. If you were staying a few months or living there then that's another story.

  • garffi on 29/10/2019 - 21:46
    +2

    Went for 2 weeks and didn't get any shots.

    • Archi on 30/10/2019 - 08:49
      +1

      living life on the edge

  • bdl on 29/10/2019 - 21:49

    Grab some Bushman insect repellent too to keep the mozzies away

  • hawkeye on 29/10/2019 - 21:58

    African swine flue is pretty ripe around that part of Asia at the moment just keep it in the back of your mind.
    Got Hep A/B Typhoid done 20 years ago they said it's a new drug should last 15+ years at that time. So I have know idea if i'm OK or not Was in HMC and Phu Quoc at the start of the year never had any problems.
    However mate and his wife became violently ill buying prawns off the beach up north by beach walking woman selling cooked seafood 2 years ago. having shots and getting food poisoning won't save you anyway

  • SmiTTy on 29/10/2019 - 22:36

    Apart from what everyone has mentioned, u should get get the oral meds for cholera

    It's easy enuff, just take 2 oral doses a week apart from memory.

  • snoopdogg on 29/10/2019 - 22:58
    +2

    went for 2 weeks didnt get shots and saved myself 140 bux or whatever it cost. WELL SAVED!

  • cynicalmike on 29/10/2019 - 23:24
    +1

    typhoid doesn't protect you 100% i don't bother with it anymore

    Hep A+B is a must (and lifetime with boosters?) but if you don't have the time don't worry about it. twinrix(?) i think?

    don't eat seafood (i also got violently ill probably from some sushi)
    don't pat the dogs (or other animals) and watch out for them (pretend to pick up a rock if they get aggressive)
    if there's a lot of mosquitos around use Eau de Deet, otherwise don't bother

    • bazingaa on 29/10/2019 - 23:54

      +1 this comment!

      don't pat the dogs (or other animals) and specially run away if you see saliva dripping from their mouths,if bitten get rabies shots immediately as it can't be cured and death is certain. may be you can get vaccination even before hand as a precaution but please check with a health care professional as I don't know anything about that.

      also please avoid mosquitoes as possible. dengue, malaria etc. can be deadly as well.

      • cynicalmike on 30/10/2019 - 00:11
        +1

        nah don't run they might chase you and bite you in the leg from behind (happened to me in myanmar, it looked rabid but was just territorial. didn't pierce the skin though). if it's rabid there's a chance even throwing a rock will have no effect. you'll know by the saliva or issues with barking and aggressiveness.

        yeah i got bitten in vietnam without having any rabies shots but fortunately it wasn't rabid. i do recommend shots if you're cycling or doing a top gear vietnam with a honda win scooter but generally walking around you won't have a problem.

        • bazingaa on 30/10/2019 - 00:23

          yeah, should not literary run away as they will bite from behind :D
          Dogs with rabid also try to bite each other as well
          also other animals (mammals ?) such as monkeys can carry rabies,so have to be very careful with them also.

          you are damn lucky with that Vietnam incident :D

  • Flying Ace on 30/10/2019 - 09:04
    -1

    Not necessary. Been to Vietnam 10 times over the last few years and continue to go regularly and have never had any shots. Save your money.

  • rjstev on 30/10/2019 - 09:28

    Why didn’t you just check DFAT Smart Travel website?

    • manbearpig on 30/10/2019 - 11:56

      I did, but that's general information. I wanted to know in reality what people were actually doing. I highly doubt people are actually getting hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza shots, which are all the recommended vaccinations.

  • Dadidalol on 30/10/2019 - 20:36
    +1

    I am going in December for 10 days and got my vaccinations done last week. Two shots in one arm and one shot in my dominant arm. Was a twinge sore for a few days but can't feel much now and I've had no side effects at all.

    Reason was I'm a mosquito magnet so I wanted to be safe than sorry.
    Doctor recommended Hep A, Typhoid and MMR. Hep A and Typhoid cost $120 total, and MMR was free for my age group (20s) because apparently there was a gap in the school immunisation program if you were born in the 90s.

    Hope this helps

  • simplyme on 01/11/2019 - 01:52
    +1

    Friends of mine went for their honeymoon last November didn't get vaccinated or take tablets and the wife came back with Malaria. I would most definitely get vaccinated. Better safe than sorry.

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