Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Shots for Micronesia? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
silvanocat 15:33 UTC 11 Oct 2010 | I just read in a new guidebook Micronesia and Palau (Other Places Travel Guide) (written by ex Peace Corps volunteers who served there) that for the FSM one should get (among other shots): be updated on diphteria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A & B I'm wondering if they are repeating what the Peace Corps required based on (some of) them living on an outer island for two years or is this really a good suggestion. When I went to Palau and Yap I didn't get any jabs. (Of course that could have been reckless on my part.) |
5waldos 22:12 UTC 11 Oct 2010 | Nor did we silvano. And we were on some of the outer outer islands there. There was a measles epidemic and a bout with dengue fever. And swimming in the river can be dicy. But we got no shots and no worry about malaria because none of the right kind of mosquitoes. don't think the cdc recommends anything. | 1
ozziegiraffe 12:29 UTC 12 Oct 2010 | My Australian GP made sure I was updated on all of those before I went to live in Solomon Islands, but I am sure he would have if I was going to live for a while practically anywhere. The one I am most sure of is tetanus. Of course, unlike some advice I heard here recently, there is no shot for malaria, only prophylaxis. | 2
5waldos 15:53 UTC 12 Oct 2010 | Probably not a bad idea but I don't believe any are required. Some of them, like tetanus, should be kept up at home. And although there is no shot for malaria yet, they hope to have one delivered by 2015- this would be wonderful. | 3
Laszlo 23:21 UTC 12 Oct 2010 | More than wonderful! Two people out of the three I last went to New Guinea with caught malaria after mere 2-3 weeks there despite taking 2 of the best drugs available for prophylaxis (Malarone and Lariam). | 4
tilos 22:36 UTC 14 Oct 2010 | I was already up to date on all the recommended shots (diphteria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A & B), so I didn't need anything. Malaria doesn't appear to be present on either FSM or Palau. Personally, if it won't be a hardship, I would get the recommended shots. The medical care on Yap and Palau (outside of Koror) isn't impressive. This includes non-outer islands like Peleliu and Kayangel. These shots are the same ones recommended for school children in the U.S. Hepatitis B, in particular, is easily spread in medical facilities when proper sterilization protocols aren't followed. Also, once you get the full sequence for Hep A & B, you are immunized for life, so you won't have to worry about it again. Diphteria, polio, and typhoid can be immunized in one shot (creatively named DPT), and are good to have for any foreign travel (or local travel when you have large populations of non-vaccinaters). Again, I think your risk of catching anything is very minimal, but my personal opinion is that it is better to be safe than sorry. | 5
chicachapina 04:53 UTC 16 Oct 2010 | I agree with tilos: it's a good idea to get your hepatitis A regardless of where you are in the world, Micronesia is endemic for hepatitis B so not a bad idea to get that covered as well. I would also recommend you get the typhoid tablets (coverage lasts longer than the shot). Don't know about polio, but make sure you got your two MMR doses as a kid as there is currently a mumps issue in FSM and measles is always just around the corner (i.e. Phillippines). Malaria is not an issue. Best to do all of this before you travel. But it's not like they won't allow you to enter the country if you don't have the shots. | 6