2013 Preparations - Vaccinations & Blood Donation

With this being my first visit to an area requiring special vaccinations, I wasn't quite sure where to start.  The State Dept site pointed me in the right direction with a link to the CDC:

CDC Travel Site

First off, you'll want to be up-to-date on routine vaccines, which I am.  Secondly, the vaccines recommended for the majority of travelers are:

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid

 As it turns out, your regular doctor can probably manage HepA, but not likely typhoid.  I was then on a quest to find where to go.  If you live in the Portland, Oregon metro area, the cheapest place to get the HepA shots (assuming your insurance won't cover it) is through Multnomah County.  They don't cover anything else though, so for $15 more you can do it all at the Portland Industrial & Travel Clinic (PITC).  They beat the next cheapest place (Walgreens) by $85.  Walgreens did tell me that most insurance covers some of the expense as a preventative care scenario, so if you have insurance, confirm coverage ahead of time because PITC does not bill insurance.

On the off chance that you might need a medical procedure in Guatemala, you may want to consider HepB as well.  I already had them as a routine vaccinations, so I don't need those.  Water purification tablets are also advisable.  Depending on the area you'll be visiting, malaria drugs may be helpful as well.  There is only one day of my trip that I will be in a risky area, so I am still debating whether it's worth it.  I may just take extreme mosquito precautions in regards to clothing, sprays, etc. on that one day.

There are diseases in Guatemala spread by mosquitoes with no vaccines, so be sure to take extra precautions in regards to clothing and mosquito repellants even if you aren't in a malarial area!  Also note: If you donate blood, travel to malarial areas restricts you from donating for a year.