Warm Heart Worldwide

Recommended

The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to Thailand. Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need. Note: Tell your physician when you will be in Thailand (use Chiang Mai as your marker location) because health requirements change by season and location. Make sure to see your doctor four to six weeks before you travel to ensure that any last minute vaccinations that require multiple shots have time to take effect.

• Routine Vaccinations: Before travel, be sure you and your children are up to date on all routine immunizations according to schedules approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP). See the schedule for adults and the schedule for infants and children. Some schedules can be accelerated for travel.
• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG): Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.
• Typhoid: particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors
• Tetanus-diphtheria and measles: Check to make sure that you do not need a booster.
• Drugs to Prevent Malaria (Antimalarial drugs): If you will be visiting a malaria risk area in Thailand, you will need to take one of the following antimalarial drugs: atovaquone/proguanil or doxycycline. (The latter is much less expensive and works fine.)
• Malaria risk area in Thailand: Risk in rural areas that border Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma). Very limited risk in Phang Nga and Phuket therefore prophylaxis is not recommended for these two areas. No risk in cities and in major tourist resorts. No risk in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan. Around Phrao, malaria is an issue only during the rainy season. Few of us take anti-malarials; all of us, however, do use bug spray and sleep in screened rooms or with mosquito nets during the rainy season.