View Full Version : Vaccinations for the trail???
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 10:57
I'm planning my next section hike for this fall, I need to get my tetanus, hepatitis and malaria shots updated should I also to get vaccinated for rabies?
Two Speed
05-29-2009, 11:17
No, but anyone hiking with you prolly should.
Just sayin'.
World-Wide
05-29-2009, 11:33
I'm planning my next section hike for this fall, I need to get my tetanus, hepatitis and malaria shots updated should I also to get vaccinated for rabies?
I got rabies shots for biting the head off a bat but that's OK - the bat had to get Ozzy shots.
Ozzy Osbourne
Stay away from the bat's and you should be okay! ;)
take-a-knee
05-29-2009, 12:37
I'm planning my next section hike for this fall, I need to get my tetanus, hepatitis and malaria shots updated should I also to get vaccinated for rabies?
I'm sure the Nobel Prize Committee would like to know where you could get a "malaria shot".
Tetanus is wise if it has been more than five years. Hep A and Hep B are smart if you've never had them, if you've completed each series, you DO NOT NEED a booster unless you've had your blood drawn and sent to a lab for a Hepatitis antibody titer. If your titer is low, they will reccomend a booster. Getting a booster without doing this is like having the fire dept come hose down the inside of your house in case it might catch fire.
Rabies? Unless you are a veterinarian, a vet-tech, a trapper, or a really avid hunter, you don't need it. If you get exposed, you get the series anyway.
Blissful
05-29-2009, 13:46
Tetanus is really all you need.
Wish they had a good one for Lyme.
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 17:12
I'm sure the Nobel Prize Committee would like to know where you could get a "malaria shot".
in the butt!
Wise Old Owl
05-29-2009, 17:21
Apparently this thread was supposed to be in the humor section....
Buzz_Lightfoot
05-29-2009, 17:26
Apparently this thread was supposed to be in the humor section....
Are there any for snoring?
leeki pole
05-29-2009, 17:40
My wife is a nurse and she gave me the tetanus series back in the 80's (the shots, that is.) She says that I only need a booster every ten years or so. She disagrees with TAK, Hep A and Hep B if you really think you need it, due to lifestyle but you're not going to a third world country (okay, the South may be).
leeki pole
05-29-2009, 17:49
As an aside, which there is no vaccination for, my biggest fear would be staph. You're living in squalor, moist, humid and bacteria laden conditions.
Sanitation is pretty much nonexistant. Highly contagious. Carry an excellent antibiotic.
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 17:53
Apparently this thread was supposed to be in the humor section....
No, it's in the correct section
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 17:56
As an aside, which there is no vaccination for, my biggest fear would be staph. You're living in squalor, moist, humid and bacteria laden conditions.
Sanitation is pretty much nonexistant. Highly contagious. Carry an excellent antibiotic.
Not sure where you've been hiking, but conditions like you describe are not where I've been hiking. As far as antibiotics go, way too may are prescribed and no I won't be carrying any.
leeki pole
05-29-2009, 18:04
Not sure where you've been hiking, but conditions like you describe are not where I've been hiking. As far as antibiotics go, way too may are prescribed and no I won't be carrying any.
Okay, just my two cents. I was talking about Neosporin, not a prescription. And yes, you're right, a shelter or my tent looks like the Hilton in Vegas. Just wait until you have to get a sore excised surgically, then you might change your tune.
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 18:09
Okay, just my two cents. I was talking about Neosporin, not a prescription. And yes, you're right, a shelter or my tent looks like the Hilton in Vegas. Just wait until you have to get a sore excised surgically, then you might change your tune.
I don't get you correlation between shelters, your tent and the LV Hilton. Are you saying your tent resembles a shelter as far as cleanliness goes?
Wise Old Owl
05-29-2009, 18:24
I'm stumped Sidewinder!
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg275/MarkSwarbrick/__OWLq.gif
Just a Hiker
05-29-2009, 18:32
A Tetanus is the only shot that you might need prior to leaving for a long hike on the AT. I took a bad fall in the Mahoosuc Notch a few years ago and I tore my leg up a bit (see photo); thus, I had to get a Tetanus shot when I got to Gorham, NH. I have to say that the shot was worse than the injury.....the nurse shot me in the butt and I couldn't walk for two days. Good luck!
sticks&stones
05-29-2009, 18:45
I'm planning my next section hike for this fall, I need to get my tetanus, hepatitis and malaria shots updated should I also to get vaccinated for rabies?
yes definitely, so long as they are administrated as a suppository.
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 18:55
I went through a series of extremely painful rabies shots after an incident with a raccoon in the back lot. . . . the critter was unable to be located until I was 3/4 through the treatment. . . . it was more unpleasant than I can possibly describe. . . . as it turned out the raccoon was sacrificed and it tested positive for rabies. .
While I'm thankful there is a sure for an infected bite. . . the effects of the shots linger to this day. . . . lot's of pains and fatigue that I never had before and neurological issues beyond the ones I was born with. . . . but I'm still able to hike. . . ! :sun:sun
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 19:01
I went through a series of extremely painful rabies shots after an incident with a raccoon in the back lot. . . . the critter was unable to be located until I was 3/4 through the treatment. . . . it was more unpleasant than I can possibly describe. . . . as it turned out the raccoon was sacrificed and it tested positive for rabies. .
While I'm thankful there is a sure for an infected bite. . . the effects of the shots linger to this day. . . . lot's of pains and fatigue that I never had before and neurological issues beyond the ones I was born with. . . . but I'm still able to hike. . . ! :sun:sun
I would like to hear more if you would like to elaborate.
Just a Hiker
05-29-2009, 19:06
I went through a series of extremely painful rabies shots after an incident with a raccoon in the back lot. . . . the critter was unable to be located until I was 3/4 through the treatment. . . . it was more unpleasant than I can possibly describe. . . . as it turned out the raccoon was sacrificed and it tested positive for rabies. .
While I'm thankful there is a sure for an infected bite. . . the effects of the shots linger to this day. . . . lot's of pains and fatigue that I never had before and neurological issues beyond the ones I was born with. . . . but I'm still able to hike. . . ! :sun:sun
I ran into a sick raccoon by the railroad tracks outside of Dalton, Mass....it was in the middle of the day and it was making some God awful noises. I gave that thing plenty of room as I walked by.....
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 19:10
Well as most people who grew up in the country heard by the time the were ten, the shot series is admistered through the stomach lining. . . other than my spinal tap it's the most painful procedure I've ever been through. . . . and it took me months for my energy level to pick up again and I threw up every meal I had for the first few weeks, lost 29 pounds and to this day still break out in sweat for seemingly no reason. . . . there's other effects that are too embarrassing to mention and would make me uncomfortable to talk about. . . . hope this is enough for you to go ahead with the vaccine. . . .
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 19:11
I ran into a sick raccoon by the railroad tracks outside of Dalton, Mass....it was in the middle of the day and it was making some God awful noises. I gave that thing plenty of room as I walked by.....
Yup, rabies ain't nothin to trifle with. . . .
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 19:18
Well as most people who grew up in the country heard by the time the were ten, the shot series is admistered through the stomach lining. . . other than my spinal tap it's the most painful procedure I've ever been through. . . . and it took me months for my energy level to pick up again and I threw up every meal I had for the first few weeks, lost 29 pounds and to this day still break out in sweat for seemingly no reason. . . . there's other effects that are too embarrassing to mention and would make me uncomfortable to talk about. . . . hope this is enough for you to go ahead with the vaccine. . . .
Sounds pretty scary to me, was your spinal tap related to the raccoon bite?
I'll make an appointment next week and get all the boosters and new vacs taken care of. Thanks for all the input.
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 19:26
Spinal tap was due to the innate neurosis I spoke of. . . . bad stuff. . . .
I liked the movie better than the procedure for sure. . . .
http://stylemens.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/stone_h_2.jpg
3 long distance hikes on the Trail and never ever had the thought of getting vaccinated cross my mind.......nor would i get any if I was go to go out again.
Wise Old Owl
05-29-2009, 19:40
I went through a series of extremely painful rabies shots after an incident with a raccoon in the back lot. . . . the critter was unable to be located until I was 3/4 through the treatment. . . . it was more unpleasant than I can possibly describe. . . . as it turned out the raccoon was sacrificed and it tested positive for rabies. .
While I'm thankful there is a sure for an infected bite. . . the effects of the shots linger to this day. . . . lot's of pains and fatigue that I never had before and neurological issues beyond the ones I was born with. . . . but I'm still able to hike. . . ! :sun:sun
Sad to hear it pm me I might have a small solution.
take-a-knee
05-29-2009, 20:34
I went through a series of extremely painful rabies shots after an incident with a raccoon in the back lot. . . . the critter was unable to be located until I was 3/4 through the treatment. . . . it was more unpleasant than I can possibly describe. . . . as it turned out the raccoon was sacrificed and it tested positive for rabies. .
While I'm thankful there is a sure for an infected bite. . . the effects of the shots linger to this day. . . . lot's of pains and fatigue that I never had before and neurological issues beyond the ones I was born with. . . . but I'm still able to hike. . . ! :sun:sun
What year did this happen Warra?
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 20:51
what Year Did This Happen Warra?
2005. . . . . .
Sidewinder
05-29-2009, 20:54
2005. . . . . .
What state did this happen in and where?
warraghiyagey
05-29-2009, 22:15
gainesville, georgia. . .
rabies vaccine isn't cheap.... mostly people who work w/ animals get it... vets, vet techs, animal control, pest people, etc.... not really needed for hiking unless you like to play w/ rabid raccoons like warraghiyagey does
take-a-knee
05-29-2009, 23:22
2005. . . . . .
So, in 2005 you recieved several post-rabies exposure vaccinations. An initial vaccination of RIG (Rabies Immune Globulin), probably injected in your buttocks, followed by several vaccinations in your arm of the standard rabies vaccine spaced days or weeks apart.
When did the neurological symptoms appear, after which injection? Could you describe them? Do they still linger currently?
I'm very curious because I had serum sickness after rabies vaccination in the army many years ago.
vonfrick
05-29-2009, 23:25
:eek: warrghy just bit me!!!
Sidewinder
05-30-2009, 07:39
:eek: warrghy just bit me!!!
You gonna get the shots? :eek:
warraghiyagey
05-30-2009, 09:55
http://cdn-i.imagechef.com/ic/templimg2/Bad%20Dog.jpg
in the butt!His point was that there is no such thing as a malaria shot. The larger question is why in the world would you even think of needing anti-malarial pills anywhere in the US, let alone the Appalachian Trail?
Rabies shots are not trivial, and I think you would have a hard time getting a responsible facility to give them to you for just for a walk in the woods. Maybe if you were working with diseased animals on a regular basis or something. But it isn't part of a suite of preventative shots by any means.
Definately keep your tetanus up to date. Hep A might do you some good depending on your cleanliness habits. Hep B is basically for swapping of body fluids, more important to get this in third world countries where medical treatment facilities might be suspect themselves.
Why would you not carry an antibiotic because other people abuse them? Not carrying it will not prevent them from continuing to abuse prescription antibiotics??? What is needed is responsible use of antibiotics. I've carried them in travel out of the country, and only used them when absolutely needed. My only problem was waiting too long once and a sinus infection spread to my right ear. Became nasty and resulted in an early trip home for US medical treatment.
Because there are so many medical facilities here in the US, you don't need to carry your own. You can go to a doctor most anywhere and get what you need. It comes down to cost. Your doctor can prescribe it to you during a visit to him. On the trip, you would have to get to a facility, see a doctor and pay his fees, and then get the prescription. Either way you end up the the prescription. It would just cost a lot more.
All that said, I wouldn't bother with it on the AT.
One thing I did while traveling in Central America is carry antiseptic wipes. Not the anti-bacterial wet-ones-type of wipes, but antisceptic. You can get them in bulk online at places like Allegro. My next section this summer I will be carrying some. Still use antibacterial ones for butt-wipes and general cleaning, etc, but use antiseptic wipes after contact with surfaces possibly contiminated with other people's viral nastiness.
Phoenixdadeadhead
05-30-2009, 10:38
Are there any for snoring?
If you find one let me know I only started snoring about 4 years ago, and I hate it lol. I am sure others don't like it all that well either
If you find one let me know I only started snoring about 4 years ago, and I hate it lol. I am sure others don't like it all that well eitherI hate it when I wake myself up snoring!
:eek: warrghy just bit me!!!
have you had your shots?
saimyoji
05-30-2009, 12:45
:eek: warrghy just bit me!!!
You gonna get the shots? :eek:
have you had your shots?
Shoot warrgy.
rabies vaccine isn't cheap.... mostly people who work w/ animals get it... vets, vet techs, animal control, pest people, etc.... not really needed for hiking unless you like to play w/ rabid raccoons like warraghiyagey does
After a little incident with a monkey in India, I got the rabies vaccination series. 7 shots in the arm, and shooo, they aren't cheap! Like $300 a pop here in the US (compared with $7 US in India). They are not needed unless you're exposed.
The only vaccination you should consider is the tetanus booster. Hep A only if you're traveling to a 3rd world country/mexico (as stated earlier), and Hep B is for those swapping body fluids (now required for pretty much all students entering college if I recall correctly).
Sidewinder
05-30-2009, 14:55
His point was that there is no such thing as a malaria shot. The larger question is why in the world would you even think of needing anti-malarial pills anywhere in the US, let alone the Appalachian Trail?
um...http://www.malariavaccine.org/
and it's given in the butt
um...http://www.malariavaccine.org/
and it's given in the buttUmmm, , indeed. What you linked to is a prototype of a possible vaccine that might work many years from now.
You can take malaria pills but you cannot get a malaria shot.
The big question is why would you even want one in the malaria-free United States. The only cases of malaria here are with people returning from tropical countries where malaria is found.
saimyoji
05-30-2009, 15:25
internet experts rule.
Sidewinder
05-30-2009, 15:56
Ummm, , indeed. What you linked to is a prototype of a possible vaccine that might work many years from now.
You can take malaria pills but you cannot get a malaria shot.
The big question is why would you even want one in the malaria-free United States. The only cases of malaria here are with people returning from tropical countries where malaria is found.
Where did I state I'll be hiking in the United States?
Where did I state I'll be hiking in the United States?
I guess you never really said exactly where you will be hiking, however your initial post reads this:
I'm planning my next section hike for this fall, I need to get my tetanus, hepatitis and malaria shots updated should I also to get vaccinated for rabies?
which I think to most it sounded as though you were doing a section hike on the AT. if you are not hiking in the US, where are you hiking?????
Wise Old Owl
05-31-2009, 12:54
Good Catch Wakapak! The whole malaria thing with section hike got me.
warraghiyagey
05-31-2009, 19:06
I had malaria once. . . uncool. . . . :mad:
Where did I state I'll be hiking in the United States?You didn't. When you said section hike, I assumed it to be in the USA.
Are you seriously not hiking in the US? Where, then?
Let me guess Central America, South America or Africa since you are concerned with malaria. I did a little in Central America last Feb/Mar. I took 500 mg Chloroquine pills for malaria. Didn't get it, not many mosquitos in dry season, anyway. Also did the Hep A and Hep B suite, typhoid, diptheria, etc.
I had malaria once. . . uncool. . . . :mad:Where did you get it? Any permanent after effects?
Sidewinder
05-31-2009, 21:59
http://www.orangutan.org.au/assets/images/uploaded/News%206%20photo_1.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_OYTHW26W_Rk/SiM1pdEjjEI/AAAAAAAAAtU/1zNFw7MZmFE/s400/day16.jpg
warraghiyagey
05-31-2009, 22:10
Where did you get it? Any permanent after effects?
Honduras in the 1994. . . I tend to get colds easier than before but don't know if that's residual or not. . . Doc's have differing opinions from one to the next. . . .
Honduras in the 1994. . . I tend to get colds easier than before but don't know if that's residual or not. . . Doc's have differing opinions from one to the next. . . .Well, increased susceptibility to colds make sense to me from what I know. My father got malaria in Africa, and it affected his respiratory system. Of course, his inability to quit smoking didn't help any.
http://www.orangutan.org.au/assets/images/uploaded/News%206%20photo_1.jpgWho's the guy with the watch holding your hand? :banana
bluffhead
06-05-2009, 18:06
dont forget about cellulitis i was told tetnis is good for 7 years i hope so cos i had an encounter with a dirty iraqi nail recently
SassyWindsor
10-14-2009, 13:33
Just had a tetanus booster shot in one arm and a flu shot (non h1n1) in the other.
I had a friend several years ago contract tetanus, it almost got him before the Md's figured it out, took a long time for him to recover.
He was an avid hiker/outdoors-man who had not gotten a booster in years. This is why I get mine and remind others to do so.
So this is your reminder!