I don't think that anything is required, though lots of things are recommended. I have all of the long term stuff, but short-term, you can probably get away with much less. I would suggest that you schedule an appointment with the Morley Clinic in Akron, or equivalent. You could go to the doctor too, but I know that Morley has a special travel clinic - but you need to book ahead. They will give you lots of recommendations.
The most important thing is an anti-malarial, as there are malaria carrying mosquitoes. This would be probably larium or malarone. The malarone is a fairly new drug and quite expensive - $5 a day I think. As September is during the rainy season, you may have some encounters with mosquitoes and it is best to stay on the safe side. I don't take anti-malarials now
but I took Larium on a weekly basis for 3 years or so. It gave me no side effects, but some have claimed that it causes nightmares and depression.
As far as medications and hospitals here, basic services are quite good and relatively inexpensive. I wouldn't really want to have an operation here, but I had a retinal exam with some pretty sophisticated machinery. Pharmacies are all over the place, but it might be a bit difficult to find the brand you are used to because the French have their own brands. Bring what you think you will need in terms of medicine, but you don't have to bring a medical cabinet with you. Sunscreen might be a good thing to have on that list (something else I don't use).
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I'm a step ahead here. Morley is not doing international travel at the moment. They are referring folks to Summit Cty Health Department. I've talked in length to a great nurse at the Cuyahoga Cty Health Department and have an appt at the end of the month. Then, I will get shots/discuss them/get malaria medicine prescription etc. The CDC recommends several shots, but we'll see what the DR says. Stephen suggests that I get all of them (he's a bit conservative). The good news is that I have plenty of time and a couple are given in series.
World Health Organization could be a good source of information: http://www.who.int/ith/countries/sen/en/
Just off the phone w/Summit Cty Health Dept & the list they "recommend" is long & frightening. Not to mention expensive.
Do we REALLY need yellow fever, polio, typhoid, tetanus, diptheria, pertussis, Hep A and B?????
Personally, I think that too many vaccines is overkill. You are coming for 10 days only and will be in a good environment with access to clean drinking water. I am not an expert on this, so I don't know exactly. Looking at the WHO webpage though, I would stick with the Yellow Fever and an anti-malarial. What is pertussis? Tetanus, you can get that here if something happens and you haven't had it in the last seven years - just like in the US. There is a clinic open 24/7 here and very professional that is always available in the case of emergency. Tetanus is always good to have anyway. Sorry, I'm not a doctor, but that's my amateur two cents worth.
Another piece of info: When I first came here, they gave me a few shots before I left the US: Yellow Fever, MMR, PV, and Adult Dip-Tet Booster Dose (this is how it is written on my WHO vaccination card). The other shots began a week after my arrival, as they couldn't give us all the shots at the same time. Peace Corps didn't seem like their was a real urgency to get me all of my shots at once, so I imagine that they prioritized the most important ones first...
Hi! I actually received my shots last week.
I agree is a long list, but the county departments have to suggest the cdc.gov list. I got all of them as I am overly cautious. The $$ was in the yellow fever ($100) and the Hep A/B combo which is (80 per dose and you have to go 3 times for it). The cheap one was the tentanus with the pertussis (which is whopping cough) and a couple of babies died from that recently since I have Grant, I got a discount so that one was only $12) but I was due for that anyway.
The only one that I was hesitant on was the hepA and hepB, but then someone thought it was strange that I didn't have one of them when I was pregnant so I went ahead with it. It will total $240, but I have the option of not returning for the other 2 doses of it.
So, I spent $337 to date. (will have $160 more for the other hepa/b) I'm not sure if all of the clinics are the same prices. I was at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The Cleveland Clinic has a travel dept also, I am not sure about their prices.
They also gave me the anti malaria med and an antibiotic in case I need it.
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