Vaccinations for Thailand (video)
What vaccinations do you need if you go to Thailand op travel go? We can be brief about that. There are no compulsory vaccinations for Thailand. A vaccination against yellow fever is only mandatory if you come from a country where yellow fever occurs.
Nevertheless, a number of preventive vaccinations are recommended. These are:
- vaccination against hepatitis A;
- vaccination against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, polio).
Other vaccinations may also be recommended, for example if you are pregnant or have poor health or are going to work in Thailand. Contact your GP, GGD or a travel doctor for advice.
Any additional vaccinations depend on your health situation, which areas and (large) cities you will visit and how long and where you will be staying in Thailand. These vaccinations are:
- vaccination against typhoid fever;
- vaccination against hepatitis B;
- vaccination against rabies (rabies);
- vaccination against tuberculosis (TB).
Malaria in Thailand
Malaria occurs in some areas of Thailand. It is not necessary to take malaria pills. However, it is important to protect yourself against mosquitoes.
Risks to your health in Thailand
Dengue (dengue fever) occurs in Thailand. There is also a small risk of infection with filariasis and schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in Thailand. In Thailand you can suffer from traveller's diarrhoea.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJGUawLouhc[/embedyt]
I was in the Navy for 36 years and given the foreign assignments I am vaccinated for just about everything (as are all my colleagues by the way)
Lifelong protection against some diseases, others I have to get again every x number of years.
They used to be free, but since I retired I keep getting them when they expire. It doesn't all cost that much.
A personal choice, but one that everyone must decide for themselves about the necessity.
Personally, I am in favor of vaccination.
The Netherlands is quite calm with advice for Thailand. The Belgians also get Hepatitis B as standard when I read it all on the BE sites. However, a Hepatitis A infection can have major consequences. A few years ago it appeared in North Holland at a school and then in a wider area and it was quite difficult to contain it. So you can make people sick in your own country by taking it with you from your holiday address. We were angry with people with Ebola who flew to the Netherlands, but a serious liver disease is not a bad thing either.
Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted infectious disease. Similar to HIV but much more contagious. Makes sense for Thailand (..) but is also becoming more and more common in the Netherlands.
Rabies is transmitted by dogs (many of which run loose in Thailand) but also bats! You just die of it.
(source: Hemachudha T, Wacharapluesadee S, Laothamatas J, Wilde H. Rabies. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2006 Nov;6(6):460-8.) Worldwide, Rabies causes about 60.000 deaths per year, 80% in Asia
So vaccination for this is not an unnecessary luxury.
What can you do to prevent rabies?
* Do not make contact with animals abroad that you do not know. Don't feed them either.
*Do not touch dead or sick animals.
*Don't handle bats.
Not making contact with anyone also helps… but be careful even on the internet you can get infected….
Don't contact anyone. So that's everyone. But wasn't this about vaccinations for Thailand? Then I miss the link to internet contamination.
It's kinda weird to downplay serious advice though.
I have been living in Thailand for 7 years now, and before that I came on vacation every year for a few weeks. Never got me vaccinated except in the 60's and 70's when I was a seafarer with the KJCPL.
Luckily I've never been sick. After these years I've traveled all over the world without all the vaccine crap.
Also in South America and Africa. Just make sure you pay attention and wash your hands regularly. For the rest that's all.
Good trip.