Typhoid?

[RomanGoddess]

We will be moving to Madagascar this summer. The health authorities highly recommend getting vaccinated against typhoid. The vaccine is not recommended for under-2 year olds so I won't consider having my baby vaccinated. DH was vaccinated last week and suffered major diarrhea for about a week as a result. That leaves me and DD (age 4.5) to consider. I am breastfeeding. One version of the vaccine is a live oral vaccine and the other is dead. I don't know which one the clinic will have.

Any thoughts on whether I should have the vaccine? I don't want to get typhoid fever, obviously, but I also don't want what goes into the vaccine (nor do I want my baby to have it in my milk).

Any thoughts on whether DD should have the vaccine?

We will be in the capital city, where typhoid is less common but still present. The infection is transmitted through food and water. I have read that typhoid, when diagnosed, is easily treated with antibiotics and deaths rarely occur.

[makuahine]

I don't know anything about the typhoid vax, but my husband was in indonesia two years ago and actually got typhoid. He felt pretty awful for a few days (high fever and diarrhea) but as soon as he went to the doctor they put him on antibiotics (not sure if they put him on anything else as well) and he was back to normal in a couple of days. If I were you I wouldn't get the vax. I think, just from our experience, that if you are a healthy person getting typhoid won't be that big of a deal.

[Mirzam]

I would never give my children this vax. I has it many years ago to visit Malaysia. After receiving the vax I managed to get myself home and promptly collapsed on the floor and couldn't move for the rest of the day. I honestly thought I was going to die, I felt so bad. I could hardly move my arm for a few days afterwards too.

[Marnica]

I would not get it either. I agree with PP's. It is treatable, and if you are careful and smart about where the water and food you are consuming and exposing yourself too, chances are you's all be fine. I have traveled the world and have not gottent his vax...I was fine

[anewmama]

I would do a little research, perhaps talk to a travel doctor. I have lived around the world and from experience, it's pretty impossible to "watch your water."

What if you go into a restaurant and eat veggies rinsed in tap water of questionable sources? You can't always rely on bottle water which you can often find in foreign countries. What if you eat food that was not stored properly but you don't know? How much traveling within Madagascar will you be doing? What if you are traveling to a village and get sick and there are no antibiotics available at that moment?

I am not suggesting you run out and get it. But please look to more than MDC for info on this. If you are staying in a city the whole time and will have constant access to prompt medical care, the risk might not be so high of getting it an not getting medical care. My quick google found that Madagascar has a very high rate of Typhoid and one story of a mother that has a son sick with it but the hospital has run out of antibiotics. Maybe in that situation, money talks though. For what it is worth, I have had many typhoid shots and am fine. Not sure what I would do in your place though.

The difference in the oral and vaccine are also longevity. I think the shot is 3 years with the oral 1 year.

for detail info on Typhoid

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38441


http://www.medicinenet.com/typhoid_fever/page3.htm

Prior to the use of antibiotics, the fatality rate was 20%. Death occurred from overwhelming infection, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, or intestinal perforation. With antibiotics and supportive care, mortality has been reduced to 1%-2%. With appropriate antibiotic therapy, there is usually improvement within one to two days and recovery within seven to 10 days.

[RomanGoddess]

Thank you for all of your responses. We visited the medical center last week to get our clearance to go to Madagascar. I told the doctor that I wanted to hold out on all vaccines until we are closer to the date when we leave, as I am still undecided on them. He was, of course, furious and told me that I was being an irresponsible parent putting my children at risk. He also wanted to vaccinate my 1 month old right away with DTAP, BCG (tuberculosis vaccine that has proved not very effective at all), and hep B.

My DH would like us all to be vaccinated against typhoid and is putting me in touch with a tropical disease doctor in Madagascar to discuss it further. Besides the concerns I have mentioned, I am worried about the side effects of the typhoid vaccine (diarrhea for a week) ruining my milk supply. I also don't want to let my 4-year old suffer from harsh side effects. On the other hand, I don't want to put my 4-year old at a significant risk of getting the disease, as I understand that typhoid can be a very violent experience for children, more so than for adults.

I will update here later.