Vaccinations & Medications

My past (relevant) immunization history:

• Hepatitis A -- 2008
  
• Hepatitis B -- 1994, '95, '96
  
• IPV (Polio) -- 2007
  
• MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella) -- 1994
  
• Td (Tetnus, Diphtheria) -- 2004
  
• Typhoid -- 2007
  
• Varicella (from prior infection) -- 1986
  
• Yellow fever -- 2007

Vaccines recommended for my next travels:

• Flu: primarily because of being in enclosed airspace during my looong and multiple flights
  
• Hepatitis A: because this is a 2-dose series to get lifetime immunity, so I just need one more.
  
• MMR: because I will be working in close contact with people with disabilities who have unknown diagnoses, I should get a booster
  
• Oral Typhoid: because the first vaccine I received was a shot, which lasts only 2 years. Oral typhoid, which are 4 pills taken across 7 days, lasts 5 years.

• Tdap: Even though it hasn't been 10 years since I received my last Td, the physician recommended I get this new Tdap as an early booster because it also protects against Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
  
• Meningococcal (Meningitis): this has caused epidemics in parts of Africa. I couldn't remember whether or not I had received a shot for college (that was over 10 years ago, after all!), but the physician suggested I get a booster regardless.
  

Side Effects:

First, a side note. I asked not to receive any of those vaccines on the day of the consultation because I had not had eaten yet. Instead I scheduled to get them through my primary physician a day later, as I also wanted to consult with her about delaying my menstrual cycle through birth control pills. (There are many reasons for considering this, but the fascinating aspects of toileting in rural Kenya will have to be explained in another post. For now, consider yourself so much luckier if you are a guy.) After a long talk about the risks and benefits, I decided not to take those pills not only because I dislike taking pills/meds if I can help it, but also because they need to be taken at the same time every day, and the last thing I need is to keep track of the hours across 4 countries' time zones!

SO I received only the flu shot, Hep A, and oral typhoid. Firstly because I did not want 5 shots in one go. Secondly because some things aren't to be mixed with other things. Thirdly, I do not need all of them yet because the greater risks areas are in India and Africa.

Side effects of the flu and Hep A have been minimal. Flu (0.5cc) was nothing. Hep A (1.0cc) was super sore where it was injected, but lasted only a day. Oral Typhoid... I have to take on an empty stomach so that it can travel all the way to the small intestine. It has been causing some mild headache and nausea.


Prescriptions:

• Mefloquine (anti-malarial): I take this once a week and have to start taking it 2 weeks before traveling and continue until 4 weeks after returning to the USA. The most common side effect of this is vivid dreams. Not nightmares, but vivid and very weird dreams. I've taken this before, and the most memorable dream involved my flying on a broom through walls at a generic Hogwarts. I kid you not ;-)
• Azithromycin: for traveler's diarrhea. They called me "iron stomach" in Kenya, until I got food poisoning my 3rd time visiting and spent the night throwing up. No diarrhea though. That, I got in Vietnam.