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Hepatitis Vaccinations

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sriyantra

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Time of past OR future Camino
Frances September "2014"
Hi all,
Our doctor recommended Hepatitis A & B vaccinations before we leave for the Camino Frances in September. We don't believe in vaccinations for the sake of it so what is the general opinion of members? Thanks Sriyantra
 
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Hi all,
Our doctor recommended Hepatitis A & B vaccinations before we leave for the Camino Frances in September. We don't believe in vaccinations for the sake of it so what is the general opinion of members? Thanks Sriyantra

If you don't need 'm t home, you don't need 'm here.
 
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If you don't need 'm t home, you don't need 'm here.
Didn't think so. I had Hep B vaccinations in 1990 because I was teaching a number of students who were carriers and the school insisted on it. Thanks.
 
It is very strange how unaware many are of the fact that Spain is a highly sophisticated country in Europe...
Health care system functions (very good, by own experience) and everything you need can be bought. Food is very good, and everything is cheaper than at home.

No, no vaccines are necessary for going to Spain.

Leaving for the airport in 1.5 hours, heading for Barcelona tonight. Tomorrow will be tapas (pinxhos) in Pamplona :D:cool:
 
Travel in Spain or Europe in general can be done without health concerns for the most part. However, if one travels extensively, is mature i.e. those of us getting older, or those with compromised immune systems should consider receiving typical vaccinations as recommended by their physician or other health organizations.

I have had both for the reasons above. I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. These are vaccinations that be done several months prior to departure.
 
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Didn't think so. I had Hep B vaccinations in 1990 because I was teaching a number of students who were carriers and the school insisted on it. Thanks.

Hence...you needed it at home, be it for a specific reason.

But dont worry, Spain is completly safe to travel. I bet even safer then aussie.
 
I cannot take the Hep B vaccination because of my disability.
I have walked the Camino many times and am still alive.
I do not believe you need it.
I agree with Dutch's comment.
 
I have had hepatitis when I lived in Syria and my son ( aged 6 at the time) got hepatitis when we lived in Egypt, both times back in the seventies and in 3rd World countries.
Personally, I think your doctor is being over cautious and, for some reason imagine that Spain hasn't moved forward since before the 2nd World War. Spain is part of Europe, is modern and has top notch medical facilities, not only as far as medication is concerned, but also for preventative medicine. I wouldn't even think of having a hepatitis vaccination ( not that I now need it) if I visited Australia. I also don't think you need it. Anne
 
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It is very strange how unaware many are of the fact that Spain is a highly sophisticated country in Europe...
Health care system functions (very good, by own experience) and everything you need can be bought. Food is very good, and everything is cheaper than at home.

No, no vaccines are necessary for going to Spain.

Leaving for the airport in 1.5 hours, heading for Barcelona tonight. Tomorrow will be tapas (pinxhos) in Pamplona :D:cool:

Hi,
I guess by the time you read this you'll be safely ensconced in Barcelona. Just wanted to say,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Buen Camino:D
 
Don't worry you will be fine without! Last week I had to go to the non urgent emergency in Santiago and I can vouch for the high standard care and treatment!
I personally have my hepatitis A and B vaccinations but that is because I work in mental health and in Belgium you are obliged to get the vaccinations for those kind of jobs. Otherwise I would not bother...
 
I totally agree the need for special vaccinations are not needed in Spain.

But I would suggest that we all make sure we have stayed up to date with a tetanus shot. Given you are in more rural areas and potentially around more rusted metal fences, farm equipment, protruding nails, etc. there may be a great risk than you have at home. Always good to have a booster every 10 years and those of us that don't visit a Dr. regularly may not think about this.

Rambler
 
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At risk of injecting the perspectives of experts, it might make sense to refer to the CDC and WHO . . .

Ultimately, to vaccinate or not is a personal choice. Although my doctor did mention the Hep A, Hep B, and Rabies topics as raised by the CDC, I chose not to receive Hep A because it is generally low occurrence in Western Europe and my lifestyle is minimal for Hep B exposure. I figured rabies exposure was unlikely and could be treated if needed.

However, for my 2013 Camino, given that the CDC and WHO were tracking a spike in meningitis worldwide, and given that the Camino acts as a "mass gathering" for people throughout the world, my doctor recommended the meningitis vaccine. That made sense to me and I received it. He also mentioned the significant rise in measles in Europe (well documented by the WHO), he checked my immunization records and determined nothing additional was required.

I generally agree that a first world citizen travelling to another first world country, like Spain, the general advice of "do there what you do here" is reasonable. HOWEVER, the Camino potentially changes that because it attracts people from all over the world and artificially increases exposure risks that would otherwise be small (e.g. meningitis). Additionally, if one hasn't received standard recommended immunizations (e.g. measles), then one's risk IS greater.

At the end of the day, I am not qualified to advise a person to disregard the directions of his/her doctors or of recognized healthcare organizations. All I can do is make an (arguably) informed choice for myself.
 
At risk of injecting the perspectives of experts, it might make sense to refer to the CDC and WHO . . .

Ultimately, to vaccinate or not is a personal choice. Although my doctor did mention the Hep A, Hep B, and Rabies topics as raised by the CDC, I chose not to receive Hep A because it is generally low occurrence in Western Europe and my lifestyle is minimal for Hep B exposure. I figured rabies exposure was unlikely and could be treated if needed.

However, for my 2013 Camino, given that the CDC and WHO were tracking a spike in meningitis worldwide, and given that the Camino acts as a "mass gathering" for people throughout the world, my doctor recommended the meningitis vaccine. That made sense to me and I received it. He also mentioned the significant rise in measles in Europe (well documented by the WHO), he checked my immunization records and determined nothing additional was required.

I generally agree that a first world citizen travelling to another first world country, like Spain, the general advice of "do there what you do here" is reasonable. HOWEVER, the Camino potentially changes that because it attracts people from all over the world and artificially increases exposure risks that would otherwise be small (e.g. meningitis). Additionally, if one hasn't received standard recommended immunizations (e.g. measles), then one's risk IS greater.

At the end of the day, I am not qualified to advise a person to disregard the directions of his/her doctors or of recognized healthcare organizations. All I can do is make an (arguably) informed choice for myself.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and the time and effort you have spent in answering my question. The websites are great resources to refer to.
 
I generally agree that a first world citizen travelling to another first world country, like Spain, the general advice of "do there what you do here" is reasonable. HOWEVER, the Camino potentially changes that because it attracts people from all over the world and artificially increases exposure risks that would otherwise be small (e.g. meningitis).
.

But then, if you use this as an argument, you also need it when going to Disney world, New York, The eifel tower, my favorite bar ect........

No, if you think like that, you need injections to even go visit your own bathroom

The camino is, travelwise, no different then any other first world place/country/tourist trap. No hep A and b injection needed. Absolute overkill imho.
 
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But then, if you use this as an argument, you also need it when going to Disney world, New York, The eifel tower, my favorite bar ect........

No, if you think like that, you need injections to even go visit your own bathroom

The camino is, travelwise, no different then any other first world place/country/tourist trap. No hep A and b injection needed. Absolute overkill imho.
I made an informed choice, based on my discussion with my doctor and my own research from professional organizations like the CDC and WHO (neither of which appears to view Spain as some backwater, third-world country). I chose NOT to go with Hep A or B. I did choose to go with meningitis, and I agree that I probably should already have had the meningitis vaccination; planning for the camino simply brought that to the surface.

I do think that five weeks spent sleeping in dormitory conditions is probably a greater risk of exposure to <whatever> than a weekend at the Eiffel Tower, New York, DisneyWorld, or EuroDisney for that matter. The CDC's advice isn't specific to the Camino, it's addressing any place of mass gathering, regardless of where in the world it occurs. Thus, your point (albiet sarcastic) is valid and is supported by the CDC --- we SHOULD consider the risks of going to any place where there is a mass gathering and then make appropriate medical decisions. (Fortunately, since my bathroom isn't a place of mass gathering, I'll risk it.)

If one's immunizations are not current, then an occasion like the Camino is a good reason to get them in order. For instance, it is a medical fact that measles is far more prevalent per capita in Europe than in North America (unless you believe the WHO is skewing their data to scare people). Therefore, if my MMR immunizations are not current, I am at greater risk of contracting measles simply by going to Europe, and it seems prudent for me to recognize this and make an informed decision about whether or not I should bring them current.

I think the fundamental difference I take from your viewpoint is that I believe each person needs to make an informed decision based on medical advice of both his personal doctors and the professional health agencies of his country. That advice may or may not involve additional immunizations or boosters, and the person may or may not choose to follow that advice. I'm quite comfortable if that person's decision is different than my own, provided it doesn't needlessly expose me to greater risk.
 
Well, it's your choice. I just believe it is complete overkill to pump your body full of chemicals for a trip to Spain, camino or not. Imho, your taking the advice wrong, but like you said, its all about choices.

But if it is because of a place of mass gathering, then by that theory you would not need it on, lets say, the camino ingles or any other hardly travelled camino? 'Cause there sure arent any mass gatherings on those walks.
 
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But if it is because of a place of mass gathering, then by that theory you would not need it on, lets say, the camino ingles or any other hardly travelled camino? 'Cause there sure arent any mass gatherings on those walks.
Based on the CDC recommendation, you are probably correct. I would tend to believe there is less risk in walking the Camino Ingles than in going to the Superbowl or to the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver (my home town).

Immunization is clearly a hot button issue on both sides---the risk of contracting a preventable disease versus the (debatably rare) side effects. In many cases, fear motivates both sides more than facts do.

For myself, I land on the side of the benefits outweighing the risks.

I had an uncle who contracted polio before there was an antivirus, and I have a good friend who contracted it after there was an antivirus because his mother refused to immunize him for fear of the effects of the immunization. In both of those cases, the debilitating effects affected them their entire lives.

I lost a friend in college to a meningitis outbreak in his dorm, and I know the husband of a friend who survived it (quite literally, miraculously, as his case is before the Vatican for the cause of Blessed Chiara Badano as the second miracle required for her recognition as a saint). There was no immunization when Tony died from it, but Stephania's husband contracted it after the immunization was available, but he hadn't received it.

I never got around to this year's flu virus, and I almost died from pneumonia in both lungs as a result of coming down with a strain of H1N1 that the antivirus would have prevented. In hindsight, I wish I had "pumped my body full of chemicals" as the resulting lung damage could affect me the rest of my life.
 
It is a good point that the biggest risk may not be on the Camino itself, but the transport through international air terminals with people coming from all far flung parts of the world and then being sandwiched into tin cans, flown to/from Spain and France. Your risk of infection is higher there. Meningitis is a good call that most would not think about. My brother in law got it flying between California and Canada. (Some may consider Cali is a third world country though).
Rambler
 
Maybe one should try to find out how big the risk is, percentagewise, of actually getting one of those things.

I am willing to bet that the chances are very slim. Like one in a .............. Then you can really outweigh risk vs benefits
 
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I get everything I possibly can but that's because I'm a frequent visitor to intensive care hospitals, nursing homes and mental health wards - nothing to do with Spain! The vaccinations are to keep me healthy so I don't harm the patients...
 
Dutch, you may recall that I considered vaccinations for Hep A, Heb B, and Rabies, and chose not to receive any of them. Moreover, a germophobic, fear-driven person probably would not have so casually skipped his flu shot, as I did this year and paid the price. I agree with Rambler about flights and airports, which I'm fairly certain is where I was exposed. Regardless, my posts are NOT based on my own fear, but on my belief that a matter of a person's health needs to be between that person and a qualified medical professional.

Perhaps one day I will attempt to discover the actual mathematical likelihood of exposure for each of those things based on available stats from the WHO. My models would probably be wrong since I don't have the level of mathematical training they have. So, in the meantime, I choose to trust the tens of thousands of highly trained doctors, scientists, and health organizations involved with dealing with infectious diseases and immunology far more than I trust the non-medical opinions of anyone in this forum (myself included).

When a poster asks about something like immunization, I think it's fine to share what we've personally chosen to do and why. However, once we cross the line from personal choice to recommendation, I believe that we've crossed a line that isn't ours to cross.
 
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This is a subject about which we all have to make our own decisions. The best we can do here is to lay out the facts and hope that enables an informed decision.

There is nothing to be gained by suggesting that one persons opinion is right or wrong. If it was black and white there would only have been one reply to this post so the decision is not so simple. As always please discuss the topic not each other or we will have to moderate.
 
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Probabilities and risks are meaningless if you contract a serious, chronic disease that might have been prevented by a vaccination. Once you are infected, it is too late.

Also, and just FYI, Hepatitis A is typically food or water-borne and while nasty, does generally get cleared from the body of its own course. However, Hepatitis B (HBV) has been repeated demonstrated to be 100 times more virulent than the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Also, HBV is spread in the same manner as HIV...by exchange of bodily fluids by sharing utensils, needles, and intimate contact.

For those of you keen on statistics, this means an uninfected person need only share bodily fluids (you can insert the exact methodology to suit) with ONE person infected with HBV to contract the chronic virus. Conversely, the same person could, statistically, have 100 exchanges of bodily fluids with an HIV-infected person before contracting HIV. Do YOU want to take that chance? Having chronic HBV is as serious and expensive as having HIV.

To each his or her own. But know ALL the facts before making an informed decision.

I hope this helps someone.
 
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