Vaccinations for Vietnam

poor_johno

Has anyone been to Vietnam recently and knows what vaccinations are needed or if they are needed at all? There's mixed opinions online so before I pop into my GP's can anyone enlighten me, thank you!

browneyedbazzi

The official NHS advice is available on the following link:

http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-(east)/vietnam.aspx

If you book an appointment with the nurse at your GP they're really good at talking you through what you should do. Depending on where you'll be in Vietnam they may also recommend precautions for malaria.

Bob_the_Saver

GP's/nurses usually work on the basis you'll live under the stars in the swamps not in an A/C high rise luxury hotel. Don't fall for EVERYTHING they say or try to charge you for (in some cases).

Doshwaster

I found my GP totally clueless when it comes to vaccination advice - he actually told me "you might as well have everything".

It really depends on what you are doing - if you are going to be stopping in decent hotels and eating in proper restaurants then there's not much to be worried about.

norangeduck

There should be a practice nurse who can help you out, but mostly they will go online and take recommendation from there. Rabies is one that you may want to think about - if you are likely to be 12- 24 hours from a hospital that can give you the rabies jabs if u get bitten then it may not be needed to have them before you go (the jabs just mean u have longer to seek medical aid - and I believe you still have the jabs again if you get bitten). Vietnam is malarial - so def get the anti-malarial's. Japanese Encephalitis is one I also took, they recommend it for anyone staying for more than 4 weeks, and again its spread by mozzies, I think if you worry about the malaria, you should worry about jap Enc too - this is just my opinion, I had all the jabs when I went, But I would think twice about the rabies one if I were to go again.

totallybored

My surgery was useless about knowing what to take, the nurse just googled everything and decided to tell me everything was necessary. I had tetanus, hep A and typhoid which are the ones that are advised and then had diphtheria and hep b too out of the to consider list as I could have them free on the nhs. I never bothered with malaria tablets for Vietnam as the tourist areas and main cities I went to didn't need it according to the map.

claire16c

You only need malaria for certain parts of Vietnam so I didn't take them. We got rabies as we were in Asia for about 6 weeks & I felt happier knowing we'd had it. Especially when a friend got scratched by a monkey there.

I had to also have all the jabs that had 'run out' since school plus a couple of others that people have listed above.

poor_johno

Doshwaster wrote: »

I found my GP totally clueless when it comes to vaccination advice - he actually told me "you might as well have everything".

Exactly the reason why I asked on here. My GP is useless.

I am only going for two weeks but I am traveling North to South visiting Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and HCMC.

I am thinking of getting the vaccines for Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Diphtheria.

On the maybe list are Hep B, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. So much to consider I don't know whats my best option. I am also unsure about the malaria tablets and supposedly the places I am visiting are 'safer' areas.

poor_johno

norangeduck wrote: »

There should be a practice nurse who can help you out, but mostly they will go online and take recommendation from there .

Thanks I have been in touch with them and they are checking my file to see what I need.

phatbear

my brother lives in vietnam, and has done for 4 years+ and has never had a single jab/vaccination and never had a single problem.

prior to a trip out there last year I visited our GP just in case and they pretty much said as long as I was staying in hotels etc and not under the stars I should be fine

claire16c

poor_johno wrote: »

Exactly the reason why I asked on here. My GP is useless.

I am only going for two weeks but I am traveling North to South visiting Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and HCMC.

I am thinking of getting the vaccines for Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Diphtheria.

On the maybe list are Hep B, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. So much to consider I don't know whats my best option. I am also unsure about the malaria tablets and supposedly the places I am visiting are 'safer' areas.

I went to those places. I did not need Malaria tablets for those areas.

I got the ones you mentioned - I think I got Heb B too (but then I was going to other places like Malaysia and Thailand so I cant remember what was listed for each country now)

I definitely got rabies but they did say that was an optional one. I just felt safer knowing I had longer to get to a hospital - but if youre in cities you should be ok with that, I did it more because we were staying on a very small island in Thailand which required a boat ride to anywhere with a hospital.

Japanese Encephalitis wasnt mentioned anywhere when I went - I went to my gp and a travel clinic, I definitely didnt get that.