Trust me, sometimes vaccines are needed, and sometimes they are mandatory!
Think a travel doctor isn’t necessary? Think twice! Don’t let your vacation get ruined because you “didn’t know” or you thought you would be ok.
Just over four years ago, I took my first “real” solo trip, a trip not only overseas, but to the other side of the world. I decided to go to Bali, Indonesia.
It was a last-minute trip, and I booked everything just under two weeks before leaving. I was clearly insane; what else can I say? I barely had enough time to get my visa (to be discussed in another post!), but I did NOT have enough time to get any vaccines before I left. Vaccines usually need to be started with a minimum of 2 weeks before departure. Because I didn’t have that time, I promised myself that I would be diligent, and be careful of where I ate and the water I drank.
How hard can it be, right?
For the first couple of days, I did great! I was staying at the beautiful Anantara Resort in Seminyak, Bali. Located right on the beach with easy access to everything, I walked all around Seminyak exploring, shopping, and getting used to the whole solo travel thing. Now Bali is known for its gorgeous beaches and incredible sunsets over the Indian Ocean. And that’s what got me…
On my third day there, I decided to take a stroll along the beach and ended up at this beach café with an incredible vibe. Good music was playing, and people were drinking, relaxing and dancing on the beach that had a ton of beanbag chairs to chill out on. Completely feeling the vibe of my surroundings, I sat down in my beanbag and ordered a mojito. It was delicious! Allowing myself to get lost in the moment, I ordered a second one, completely forgetting about… the ice in my drinks!
It was the next day when I started to feel discomfort. I was feeling tired and had a loss of appetite, so I decided to skip dinner and just go to bed. I woke up at 4am, drenched in sweat, with a massive headache and running to the washroom to vomit and then sit on the toilet! I called the front desk and requested to see a doctor. When the doctor and nurse came up to my room, I could barely keep my eyes open. I was exhausted just from the vomiting alone. They had to give me an IV right there in my room because I was so weak and dehydrated.
So what was the problem? Yup, you guessed it. I got what is “affectionately” known as Bali Belly; in other words, traveler’s diarrhea. What’s the primary source of traveler’s diarrhea? E-coli bacteria. And don’t be fooled, there’s more to it than just diarrhea!
Here’s a list of symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Abdominal bloating, cramps and pain
- Fever
- Headache
- Lack of energy
- Loss of appetite
Who wants to spend their vacation time dealing with these symptoms? No one! And I did, while on the other side of the world, by myself, on my very first solo trip!
So what can you do to help prevent this?
After that experience in Bali, anytime I travel to a country that is quite different from where I live in Canada, I go and see a travel doctor about one month before my scheduled departure. A travel doctor will have a list of vaccines required and/or suggested for the area that you will be traveling to. If you want to do some research before going to a travel doctor, you can go on the Government of Canada’s website to look up suggested or required vaccines per country.
Whenever traveling, always be aware of what you eat or drink, and how it’s prepared, packaged, or stored. This also applies to things as simple as buying a bottle of water or soda stored in ice. I get it; unless its mandatory, vaccines are not for everyone.
If you choose not to get a vaccine, here are some things for you to keep in mind while on your trip:
- Only drink bottled water.
- Skip the ice cubes in drinks.
- Eat fruits and vegetables that you can peel yourself.
- Try to avoid eating and drinking from street vendors with unsanitary handling of food and drinks.
- If you do buy a bottled drink from a street vendor, pour it into a cup, or drink it from a straw, or sanitize the opening of the bottle if you are going to drink straight from it. I learned this lesson when I was in Tanzania, where I got sick with E-coli again!
If you’re still not convinced about getting a vaccine, at the very least, visit your doctor and be prepared for what may come. Let your doctor know where you will be going, and get a prescription for an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections, just in case something happens. Preparing for the possibility of different types of infections is something I’ve learned to do, and I won’t travel without proper medications. Besides bringing such items as Polysporin Eye and Ear Drops, and Benadryl for allergic reactions, I always get a prescription for Azithromycin. This antibiotic literally saved my trip from going downhill fast when I visited Tanzania.
What is a Yellow Card?
Speaking of Tanzania, let’s talk about MANDATORY vaccines! On my first trip to Africa, I went to Kenya, Tanzania, and Seychelles. Kenya and Tanzania are areas where there is a potential of exposure to yellow fever, especially Kenya. To be allowed to fly into Tanzania, I had to produce what is called a Yellow Card, which is an international certificate with a list of vaccines that you have received. Issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), a Yellow Card is provided by a travel doctor who administers your vaccine. A Yellow Card is the only proof of vaccination accepted by countries that require vaccines. To be allowed into Tanzania, and later on, Seychelles, I needed to produce this card. Without it, my entry would have been denied.
Trust me; the need to obtain this Yellow Card is not to be taken lightly. When I traveled to Seychelles from Kenya, I witnessed a woman get denied from boarding the plane at the gate, because she did not have her Yellow Card. Her partner that she was traveling with had his Yellow Card, and was allowed to board the plane; however, she was not permitted to no matter how much she argued and complained. The couple had to walk away from their travel plans.
But there wasn’t just one checkpoint for the vaccine!
When my plane arrived in Seychelles, each passenger was again required to produce their Yellow Card to health inspectors. These inspectors viewed our Yellow Cards, watched each passenger closely for possible symptoms, and had a thermal camera on every passenger to make sure that no one displayed signs of yellow fever. Every passenger went through this process before even getting to immigration or customs.
Moral of the story, get informed before you travel! Visit your general physician and ask questions. Depending on the country you are going to, and where you are departing from, you may be required to have specific vaccines administered by a travel doctor. Don’t ruin your trip (and possibly lose money) over something that could have been avoided.
Travel safe, be well, and have fun!
