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Immunisations

I am travelling to Thailand in July but a little worried as to whether I should have any vaccinations. I understand that I should not have any live vaccines but trying to weigh up the pros and cons ! Is there anybody out there that can advise me of to do for the best .
Thanks
Tony

Hi Tony

It is my understanding that the concern about live vaccines relates to your immune status, not treatment for CML. So, if your treatment is going well and your blood counts normal, I don't think there should be a concern even with live vaccines.

However, in any case in the UK only a very limited number of vaccines use live viruses - oral polio, BCG, MMR, and Yellow Fever (plus oral typhoid - which personally I've never come across). I read somewhere one of the flu vaccine may also be live.

Of these, only oral polio would be on the Thailand list but there is an injectable version and that's the one I've had most recently.

My own view is it rather depends on where you are travelling - if to major cities the risk is probably quite low - but I travel a fair bit and personally always keep typhoid, tetanus, diptheria and polio up to date, plus Hep A. I would prefer not to get any of those. Hep B isn't a bad idea either. I went to Thailand in 2010, a year after I was diagnosed with CML and my counts all perfectly normal, and had boosters for tetanus, diptheria, polio and typhoid. No probs.

Have a good time.

Richard

Hi Tony,

I agree with Richard. There are non-live versions of all the vaccines required for Thailand, so you should have no concerns about getting all relevant inoculations. Note that I added Hep B to the standard list as I seem to cut or bruise more easily. Only trouble is that Hep B was not free - I had to pay even though I went through the NHS.

Enjoy your holiday!
Bill

Hi Tony, I visited last year and had all the recommended jabs ( no live ) no issues, On Imatinib, enjoy, wonderful place. Nigel