Kids just had their 1st vaxes ever

[Cloverlove]

11 & 7 yr olds just got Hep A and Typhoid vaccines before our trip to SE Asia. Not glad, but feeling mostly OK.

The thing is, I'm more concerned about Dengue Fever, Malaria and shark attacks (Australia) than Hep A + Typhoid. I wish being a parent didn't mean worry, worry, worry. (I did skip DPT & MMR, which travel nurse *strongly* recommended.)

[Marnica]

Making these choices is very hrad....I'm glad you were able to be ok with what you decided

[japonica]

I just got back from Australia. Dengue fever is more of an issue in the north (tropics), so if you're in the south, it's really not a worry. If in a dengue fever area, wear repellant and just make sure there is no standing water around where you're staying...I saw a report on the news there that the dengue fever mozzies tend to stay close to home, so draining standing water from around the house really cuts down the risk...

As for shark attacks, someone was just kiiled by a great white near Perth while we were there. He was in about 5m of water, about 30m from shore. All you can do I guess is avoid certain behaviors (wetsuits, swimming in the mornings) and remember how statistically low your chance of a shark encounter really is. I was more concerned with all the drunk drivers on the roads there.

Also, both of my kids are not vaxed and he didn't have any issues in Australia.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by Cloverlove

The thing is, I'm more concerned about Dengue Fever, Malaria and shark attacks (Australia) .

So if there were a vaccine for those, you would have gotten it. Now since there isn't you'll take other measures.

Was your decision to get the other vaccines based on fear or the fact that there was a vaccine available?

[Cloverlove]

Thanks for the replies.

japonica- how long were you in Australia? We're leaving for our 4 month trip in 3 weeks! I wasn't worried about diseases in Oz, really just SE Asia. Even then, it was mostly DH who was pushing for vaxes.

OMGosh about the shark attack! Were you freaked? Did you still go in the ocean after it happened? Apparently shark-baiting is a big problem is Australia. There's been a significant increase in the number of attacks.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...es-530907.html

[Cloverlove]

Originally Posted by Gitti

So if there were a vaccine for those, you would have gotten it. Now since there isn't you'll take other measures.

Was your decision to get the other vaccines based on fear or the fact that there was a vaccine available?

Good question.

For me the decision not to vaccinate has had to do with the risk of the disease vs. the risk of the vaccine. For things like CP, Measles, Mumps, Pertussis, I've felt confident that we could deal with the illness and that the risk of the vaccine was worse than the disease itself. I still feel this way. For more serious illnesses, such as polio and tetanus, I considered the risk of actually getting the disease to begin with and decided it was so low that the vaccine wasn't necessary.

In the case of Hep A and typhoid, I felt that the risk of the disease, my unfamiliarity with the disease, the severity of the disease and the limited treatments available all gave me consideration for the vaccine. If there was a vax available for Dengue fever, I may have gotten that as well. For something like typhus (which we were at risk b/cause DD is very prone to lice) I decided against it because it is so easily treated with antibiotics and the vax itself sounded more risky.

I'm not saying that my logic is perfect, or even good. But it's where I'm at. Honestly, between quitting our jobs, selling our house and deciding to travel, I'm surprised I am not more of a basket case!

I've always loved your intelligent + reasoned responses, Gitti. Thanks for your thoughtful questions.

[japonica]

ow long were you in Australia? We're leaving for our 4 month trip in 3 weeks! I wasn't worried about diseases in Oz, really just SE Asia. Even then, it was mostly DH who was pushing for vaxes.

OMGosh about the shark attack! Were you freaked? Did you still go in the ocean after it happened? Apparently shark-baiting is a big problem is Australia. There's been a significant increase in the number of attacks.

We were in Perth for a month. We're moving there Aug/09. By the end of our trip, there were shark sightings off a beach nearly every day. They said it was highly unusual activity and started sending out patrols (planes) to monitor the beaches where kids were having their gov't sponsored swimming lessons.

I wasn't freaked about it. Even though it was in relatively shallow water, 30m out was a lot farther than I'd ever go (I have a 4 year old, so I was basically in up to my knees). Still, wildlife there is just par for the course. I saw a snake on the side of the road one day as we drove past (and that was the closest I wanted to come to a brown snake, thanks very much). And there are all sorts of creepy crawly biting or stinging things, but they usually won't kill you. It's just a part of life. Like Gitti said, there's no vax against lots of other stuff over there that potentially could make your life miserable for a short while, but you go on living anyway. I sat under a pergola (hope that's the right word they use there) for a BBQ at my SIL's and I looked up and saw dozens of huge black spiders up there...some Aussies spray for spiders but they don't at my in-laws. But as the spiders didn't attack me, it's not a big deal.

To bring it back to vaxes, the only vax I would possibly consider (in a remote way) is tetanus. My daughter was barefoot in the park the whole trip, barefoot on the beach and although I wasn't panicked about it, the thought did cross my mind that if she got a puncture wound, that might be an issue (or at least more of an issue there compared to here where the ground is frozen at least 7 months of the year). So, I'm mulling that one over but not rushing out to get it right now anyway...