Most mention getting up to date on your shots and finding out if there are any special vaccinations you need to get that are area specific to where you are traveling. They say to get into see your doctor 6-8 weeks before departure. They (the blog experts ) said this is due to vaccines taking time to adapt to the body as well as the fact that it can take some time to get an appointment with the travel nurse. The travel nurse is the person who will know which area specific vaccines you will need.
I scheduled my first injections appointment for Tuesday morning Nov. 29. I got shots for the flu, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) Hepatitis A, and also got a TB skin test. Lucky for me the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis were all in one shot so I didn't need to get stabbed a million times. The TB skin test was kind of weird. They stick a needle under your skin, then push air in making a slight bubble. It was a little creepy staring at this bulge in my arm.
Also make sure to get an up to date immunizations record of all the vaccinations and immunizations you've had thus far to take with you. This way you'll be able to let the foreign doctors know what you have and have not been given.
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| My immunizations record. |
Along with getting poked with a needle, I also got my first breast exam. TMI? I thought so, too. There's something very disconcerting about carrying on a conversation while a stranger has her hands on your chest. I texted my sister and said, "Surprise breast exam!" She replied, "Too bad you didn't know about it, you could have studied." She's all heart, that one.
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