I got the vaccines before I started to research vaccines. I travel to Peru a lot. My husband is Peruvian. I go down by myself or in groups. Some trips I get sick, some trips I don't. Mainly, it's so hard to avoid bad water. I used to be very anal about what I ate and drank, but I find that even the more careful people get sick, so now I'm more lax. But, I get sick. I don't brush my teeth or wash my toothbrush with the water. I always drink bottled water or boiled. But, I can't resist some of the street food when I'm hungry- a real meat hamburger with fries on the sandwich for only 30 cents. Yum!
The stomach illness is bad, but there's no vaccine for it. Try to be careful to avoid the water is all I can say. To me the typhoid vaccine was worth it for this reason. I believe that disease was passed along in food or water. I could be wrong because I've done no research. All I know is I'm a baby after that shot. It hurts more than most other shots I've had and it's only good for 2 years. There is a live virus version in a pill form that is more effective and last for 5 years. I know Kaiser has it, but the health departments I've been to before I travel do not have it.
Yellow fever I believe is a required vaccine for some parts of Peru, but I don't believe that is on your list of travels.
Polio is non-exsitant in our half of the globe, so I'd say it's safe to skip.
Hep A- I don't know. I haven't researched it. I got the shot.
Tetanus- you're not far from medical care it sounds, so you should be fine. Unless you are very far away from cities, doctors abound as do cell phones and internet. Villages you visit might only be an hour away from the city. I don't know.
I've personally known a few people on trips get malaria. They have pills to prevent that with a bunch of side effects. But, I slept in mosquito nets with bug spray and still managed to get eaten alive when I was far out in the jungle, so the pills were worth it to me. Some people refused to take them because the side effects were bad. But, some people got malaria. But, your not in mosquito prone territory I don't believe.
So, I've gotten stomach bugs, the flu, and I seem to always come back with a cold. Nothing major. Malaria was bad for those who got it and my pastor at the time seemed to always come back extremely sick with very high fevers and almost delusional. I don't know why he'd get so sick. I think mainly it was stomach related. But, we always ate with the people.
I hate to post this to make you worried or anything. You're going to visit beautiful areas and at altitude way from the jungle you should have a lot less trouble. I know you'll enjoy your trip.
The stomach illness is bad, but there's no vaccine for it. Try to be careful to avoid the water is all I can say. To me the typhoid vaccine was worth it for this reason. I believe that disease was passed along in food or water. I could be wrong because I've done no research. All I know is I'm a baby after that shot. It hurts more than most other shots I've had and it's only good for 2 years. There is a live virus version in a pill form that is more effective and last for 5 years. I know Kaiser has it, but the health departments I've been to before I travel do not have it.
Yellow fever I believe is a required vaccine for some parts of Peru, but I don't believe that is on your list of travels.
Polio is non-exsitant in our half of the globe, so I'd say it's safe to skip.
Hep A- I don't know. I haven't researched it. I got the shot.
Tetanus- you're not far from medical care it sounds, so you should be fine. Unless you are very far away from cities, doctors abound as do cell phones and internet. Villages you visit might only be an hour away from the city. I don't know.
I've personally known a few people on trips get malaria. They have pills to prevent that with a bunch of side effects. But, I slept in mosquito nets with bug spray and still managed to get eaten alive when I was far out in the jungle, so the pills were worth it to me. Some people refused to take them because the side effects were bad. But, some people got malaria. But, your not in mosquito prone territory I don't believe.
So, I've gotten stomach bugs, the flu, and I seem to always come back with a cold. Nothing major. Malaria was bad for those who got it and my pastor at the time seemed to always come back extremely sick with very high fevers and almost delusional. I don't know why he'd get so sick. I think mainly it was stomach related. But, we always ate with the people.
I hate to post this to make you worried or anything. You're going to visit beautiful areas and at altitude way from the jungle you should have a lot less trouble. I know you'll enjoy your trip.
