Injections

[Claire]

Hi Everyone

Wonder if you can help. I have been to Icmeler and Turkey before and never had any injections. But my friend has said you do need to have some. Does anyone know what they are and if they are compulsory or just advisary.

Hope to hear from you.

Claire

[swc24]

Hi

we have been going to Icmeler for the past 6 years and have never had any injections the first time we went we ask our doctor and was told that as we were going to a well known area there was no need for any


Steve

[art deuchars]

this is our third year for Turkey but the fourth time to icmeler ,we are getting the jags this year, you only get to be wrong once.
excuse the spelling they are tetanus diphtheria cholera and hepatitis b and c. As for your doctor saying its ok my doctor booted our backsides for not getting the jags , in saying that she also said the health clinics and hospitals are as good if not better than ours.

[blondie]

The advice seems to vary from doctor to doctor - they're certainly not compulsory, so it's very much a matter of personal choice. I'd check with your own doctor and see what they say, do a bit of research and then make your mind up. We've never bothered having them - I don't think I would unless they were compulsory, to be honest, but that's just my personal take on it.

[bill atkinson]

hi been to icmeler at least 18 times , friends also the same. not one of us had the jabs.sure i was told somewhere they are required only if you go to holiday in remote areas and camp. enjoy bill atkinson

[Claire]

Thank you all for your replies. I love this website its brill. Think I will ask at my local doctor and see what they say. As I said before I have been before and not had them.

Thank you for your reply. 12 weeks to go and I will be there. Can't wait. Efes here I come.

Claire

[gaylemcvey]

i have been going to turkey for 16 years some times 3 times a year and never had any needles i have never heard of anyone getting really ill there, can't say the same about some parts of Spain

[jivebunnie0]

I work in a medical centre, and I always keep my injections up to date ready for travelling.....You can never be too sure on hygiene abroad.

Imms are not compulsory, but we've had Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio(which comes as one injection), and will cover you for 10 years, Hepatitis A will cover you for 20 years now, if you have the booster 6 months after the initial one. Typhoid will cover you for three years.

My motto is "better safe than sorry"

[reesy1959]

I work in a medical centre, and I always keep my injections up to date ready for travelling.....You can never be too sure on hygiene abroad.

Imms are not compulsory, but we've had Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio(which comes as one injection), and will cover you for 10 years, Hepatitis A will cover you for 20 years now, if you have the booster 6 months after the initial one. Typhoid will cover you for three years.

My motto is "better safe than sorry"

Excellent advice Jivebunnie. We have not had injections for years, but after reading this thread, maybe its time to just double check. Older we are all getting...............

[loveleejublee]

I'd never had injections before but this year as there is a big group of us going, some of them have got in touch with their doctors who have recommended injections so thought I don't want to be the only one who gets ill while everyone else is immune!!!

As I had all my jabs at school I only needed typhoid and hepatitis A, however my doctor also recommended hepatitis B just in case I needed treatment/bloods etc for extra protection - typhoid in one arm, hep A and B in the other and now I'm achey but protected!!

[dksbbs]

Below is a reply to a post on HolidayTruths which I wrote regarding Jabs

Ask you GP what they recommend and go with what they say, if you catch something and you haven't had the jabs don't be surprised if your insurance is invalidated, I remember reading about a case 7 or 8 years back where a bloke was landed with a £40K bill which his insurance refused to pay out because his GP surgery recommended jabs and he caught typhoid.

I will try and find the article

On this forum a frequent answer to this question is "I've been going for years and never had a problem" and this is true most people have never has a problem but isn't it better to be safe than sorry, I recommend that you check with your GP and if they do recommends jabs and you decide not to have them confirm with your insurance company that you will still be covered, remember the jabs are free and it only takes an hour.

If you want some facts then carry on reading.

Typhoid, Hep A and Tetanus are all present in Turkey, mainly in the south east but remember people come from the south east to work in the resorts, someone who has had typhoid may seem totally OK but they can be infectious for a year, if you want to know the symptoms they are as follows:-

HEP A?
Most people get better, symptoms can be severe, even deadly: high liver enzymes, high fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and telltale jaundice. Symptoms last 1 to 4 weeks.

Typhiod (245000 cases in Turkey 1996-2006 see Here )

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. Persons with typhoid fever usually have a sustained fever as high as 103° to 104° F (39° to 40° C). They may also feel weak, or have stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite. In some cases, patients have a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.

Tetnus

The incubation period from the time of the wound to the time of the symptoms is anywhere from a day to several months, with an average of about eight to nine days. Initially, individuals are very tired, irritable, have headaches, neck stiffness, and difficulty swallowing. Then comes the muscle rigidity and spasm, which you will have sustained contractions of muscles, specifically facial and jaw muscles, hence the term lock jaw. The overall mortality rate is around 30%. In individuals over 60 years of age, it jumps to 50%.


Dave

The article refering to the number of Typhoid cases can be found here