Vaccines recommended for Belize?

We’re headed to Belize (rented a house in Placencia) and were told to get vaccines, based on CDC suggestions. It’s a bit late now but could still do typhoid and Hepatitis (first one) - is it worth dropping the $300 or so and get them?

$300 is lot cheaper than the potential hospital bill. Not sure why you would question the worth of your own health for that amount of money. Got my hepatitis shots at Costco when i went to South Africa for pretty cheap. Not sure if they do typhoid there as well. Give them a call. Added bonus of a hot dog on the way out.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

While I am all for vaccinations. Honestly, I would not worry about it. The CDC recommends Hep A and Typhoid for just about anywhere south of the mason Dixon line. Including Bermuda, Bahamas, Grand Cayman all very developed countries. They also recommend Hep A and Hep B and rabies for most of Europe.

It also recommends altitude sickness pills for Grand Cayman. :slight_smile:

Obviously it is your health and it is up to you.

George

I’d go ahead and get them. Hep. A can be a real issue worldwide. Just get it now and not worry about it in the future. Typhoid is handy as well. It is quite painful however. Take some ibuprofen ahead of time.

Don’t do it. You’ll get autism.

We go to a travel doc for country-specific shots, meds, and advice. I’m sure there are some behind the orange curtain. Worth the peace of mind.

Don’t start

Which Hep is it that they suggest a second shot? I got the shot for our trip to Cuba, and the doctor told me to come back in 6 months for a second shot, and said that would do me for life.

When we consulted with the travel doc, not that this is medical advice, but what we were told was that the typhoid and Hep A were recommended if we were planning on eating street food or other non-restaurant food, since both can be communicated that way. They also had a malaria map to consult.

I stayed in a resort near Placencia in 2010. Once you get away from the coastal resorts, Belize is pretty 3rd world and hot as Hades. I helped build an indoor oven in a tiny village, and literally felt like I was being boiled by cannibals.

I’d recommend the boosters if you’re planning to “go native”.

What could possibly go wrong?

I say yes to vaccines generally but also because when we went to Belize last year, One of our party got pretty sick from food poisoning after eating only in the hotel restaurant.

Vaccination isn’t likely to prevent run of the mill food poisoning.

Hep A. I got mine (and typhoid) before going to SE Asia earlier this year. They said another Hep A in 6 months makes me immune for life.

Carrie got hep A in Hawaii, so I wouldn’t take any chances on it. I got every booster known to man before going overseas years ago and the hep series provided by the city for all first responders. There’s a lot of bugs in the tropical zone and not all of them have wings. On the bright side, you are fairly close to Tijuana so if you do contract something, you can get the cure there with drugs not approved in the USA.