So, most of the posts about the DR will be under my regular travel blog since the trip is largely for fun. Between work travel, opening a travel credit card (hello 45,000 miles!) and using said card for every expense under the sun since opening it, I had enough miles for a trip to the Dominican Republic. While I'm there, I will be visiting the only sponsored child I have in that country, so there will be a few mentions about the DR on this blog. :-)
Fortunately, I will not need any additional medications!
On the off chance I get sick IN another country, I always buy travel insurance. While there are policies that cover just medical costs if you get sick (and potentially medical evacuation if you need or want to return home for treatment), I pay slightly more for a full coverage package. Having flown enough to know that you can be delayed for weather (major problem in the winter), computer glitches, etc. I know that a single night, last-minute at a hotel near the airport can easily run $100, which is more than a full policy will cost. Add in the benefit of the policy covering change or cancellation fees for illness or a death in the family and for me it just makes sense. I've never spent more than $80 on a policy that could easily save me a $100 to tens of thousands for a serious overseas illness or injury. I personally use the meta-site insuremytrip.com to compare policies for a given trip and to ensure I have the coverage I need.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Holy Hepatitis A Shot!
So, this post is a bit dated because I had my Hepatitis A shot awhile ago, but let's just say that it was a memorable event. The first thing that registered was how freakishly LARGE the thing was. It looked like something you'd inject into a horse, not a human! After double-checking that they were sure this was the right injection, they gave it to me.
As it turns out, having THAT MUCH pumped into your arm doesn't feel so hot. Not surprisingly, pain at the injection site is extremely common with this shot. Many people also get headaches and I was one of the "lucky" ones there to experience that as well. Nothing long lasting though and I felt better by the next day.
Despite the CDC warnings, I admit that I debated how many of these vaccines I really needed. When I read that if I did get Hepatitis A, I could be sick enough to miss a month of work . . . well, a shot didn't seem like that big of a deal!
Since I had the HepA shot at my regular doctor, I am still slated to go in for Typhoid and Malaria prescriptions. The malaria isn't for Guatemala though. I'll be in a malarial area for such a short time that taking pills 2 days before and 7 days after for ONE day doesn't seem worth it. The malaria pills are actually for the Dominican Republic! I will be in a malaria zone for 3 days on that trip, which I've decided is too long. All three are such nasty illnesses that protecting myself seems like a high priority.
As it turns out, having THAT MUCH pumped into your arm doesn't feel so hot. Not surprisingly, pain at the injection site is extremely common with this shot. Many people also get headaches and I was one of the "lucky" ones there to experience that as well. Nothing long lasting though and I felt better by the next day.
Despite the CDC warnings, I admit that I debated how many of these vaccines I really needed. When I read that if I did get Hepatitis A, I could be sick enough to miss a month of work . . . well, a shot didn't seem like that big of a deal!
Since I had the HepA shot at my regular doctor, I am still slated to go in for Typhoid and Malaria prescriptions. The malaria isn't for Guatemala though. I'll be in a malarial area for such a short time that taking pills 2 days before and 7 days after for ONE day doesn't seem worth it. The malaria pills are actually for the Dominican Republic! I will be in a malaria zone for 3 days on that trip, which I've decided is too long. All three are such nasty illnesses that protecting myself seems like a high priority.
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