The dreaded vaccinations
I didn’t tell the kids we were going for vaccinations for India. I just said we had an appointment to speak with The Travel Doctor before we go. I reckon you’d have heard Lulu’s screams almost as far as Delhi when she actually had her jabs.
An hour and four rather sore arms later we’d had 11 injections between us variously for Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis. We were also armed with a bagful of diarrhoea medication, Hydralite rehydration salts and extra-strong DEET repellent. And we’d been lectured on how best to avoid getting sick, by eating cooked food only, avoiding drinks with ice and drinking water from sealed bottles. I asked the doctor to stress to the kids the importance of not touching any dogs, cats or monkeys as even one lick from a rabies-affected animal on a cut or graze can pass on the disease.
I was following the travel health advice I espouse in my book so I knew more or less what to expect. What I hadn’t expected is that we’d be $1000 worse off. Ouch!
Still, what price health? Have you ever had vaccination shock?
See also: Travel Health
