The Vaccinations

Thinking back on my childhood, I don't remember ever being scared of needles. Not that I was a fan of needles, but I remember being quite comfortable with the idea of receiving shots and having blood taken. Still, I'm not entirely sure how accurate these memories really are... In any case, when I learned of the slew of recommended vaccinations for travel to Nepal, I immediately developed a strong aversion to needles. There are more than ten major diseases that one should be inoculated against before traveling to Nepal. Luckily, Dee and I received most of these vaccinations as children; however, there were several new, scary diseases we had to learn about and protect ourselves against.

Here's the rundown of recommended vaccinations for Nepal and the seriously scary potential consequences of forgoing them (I won't include any of the pictures I "Google Image" searched).

Hepatitis A (already vaccinated against)

what it is: acute infectious disease of the liver

causes: ingestion of contaminated food or water, direct contact with an infectious person

potential consequences: fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, depression, jaundice, weight loss

Typhoid (vaccination required)

what it is: infectious bacterial fever

causes: ingestion of contaminated food or water

potential consequences: progressive fever, profuse sweating, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, abdominal pain, delirium, intestinal hemorrhaging and perforation

Polio (already vaccinated against)

what is it: acute viral infectious disease

causes: ingestion of contaminated food or water

potential consequences: muscle weakness, acute onset of flaccid paralysis of one or more limbs, decreased or absent tendon reflexes, asymmetric paralysis (usually involving the legs)

Japanese Encephalitis (vaccination required)

what it is: viral disease

causes: bite from an infected mosquito

potential consequences: severe rigors, fever, neck rigidity, wasting syndrome, hemiparesis (asymmetric weakness), convulsions, inflammation of the brain, mental retardation, coma, life-long neurological defects

Hepatitis B (already vaccinated against)

what is it: infectious disease of the liver

causes: exposure to infectious blood or bodily fluids containing blood

potential consequences: liver inflammation, jaundice, vomiting, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, death

Rabies (vaccination required)

what is it: viral disease

causes: bite from an infected animal

potential consequences: fever, headache, weakness, insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, delirium, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia (fear of water), death

Holy monkeys can carry a whole lot of diseases at Swayambhunath

(Monkey Temple in Kathmandu)

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR - already vaccinated against)

what they are: viral diseases

causes: contact with respiratory secretions from an infectious person

potential consequences: fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, severe rash, painful swelling of the salivary glands

Tetanus-Diphtheria (already vaccinated against)

what they are: bacterial diseases

causes: tetanus - wound contamination; diphtheria - contact with respiratory secretions from an infectious person

potential consequences: tetanus - muscle spasms, rigidity (usually in the face, lockjaw); diphtheria - sore throat, fever, upper respiratory tract illness

Beyond ensuring that Dee and I have received all the necessary vaccinations, we've also been stocking up on antibiotics, anti-diarrheal and GI medications, first-aid kit supplies, and water purifiers, as well as educating ourselves on prevention.

Here's to healthy travels!