KNOCK before entering. We are battling the third week of flu-related illness at our house. Now the three-year-old is down and out. Will it ever end? Would a flu shot have helped?
This year I was very close to getting a flu shot but held off at the last moment after hearing of someone who suffered adverse side effects. While I was hesitating though, my colleague got his shot and has been sniffle-free all season. As usual, these family health decisions all boil down to individual judgment and someone in the family had better be keeping up-to-date on the latest health news.
The best sources I've found for international health information are the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The CDC is the US government's official outlet for medical statistical data and public information. Their very thorough web site answers questions about everything from recommended vaccinations for travellers to the latest on mad cow disease and news about those mysterious cruise ship viruses. The WHO is a United Nations organisation dedicated to "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." Their web site provides fascinating data about world health topics as well as specifics about the picture of health in Bulgaria.
If you have children, you might want to know how many cases of measles were reported in Bulgaria in the past few years. How about pertussis (also known as whooping cough) or polio? In 2001, there were eight cases of measles, 81 cases of pertussis and three cases of polio reported. The site also displays the Bulgarian schedule for childhood immunisations if you want to compare to your home country's schedule.
Both web sites list current outbreaks around the world and preventive health safety tips. I was surprised to learn about the current outbreak of diphtheria in all of the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union and relieved to know there have been no reported cases of diphtheria in Bulgaria.
Both sites provide helpful information for travellers where you type in your destination country and it spits back all you need to know about booster shots and updates. For the record, the recommended vaccinations before visiting Bulgaria are:
- Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
- Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than six months, or be exposed through medical treatment.
- Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
- Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.
- As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for 11 to 12-year-olds who did not receive the series as infants.
And if you are planning a cruise ship trip, the CDC site maintains a database of recent sanitation inspections of international cruise ships.
Also, you may want to check your health insurance coverage. You'll need your paperwork in order because it is now mandatory for foreign citizens to show proof of health insurance to border authorities in order to enter Bulgaria.
Another item you may want to check is the medical evacuation clause of your health insurance policy. Medical evacuation insurance is not included in standard policies and usually requires additional cost.
Besides the usual advice "don't drink the water," maintaining your family's health while abroad can be challenging. When in doubt, contact your healthcare provider. My list of resources is always meant to augment consultation with experts, not substitute for advice. Now after reading about a flu epidemic in Africa and experiencing it here in Sofia, I'm a little more likely to get my shot next year. In my opinion, the adverse side effects can't equal the difficulties of the last three weeks!
Additional Resources:
www.cdc.gov - Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia - includes the latest information on diseases, traveller immunisations and cruise ship hygiene reports.
www.who.int - The World Health Organisation in Geneva.
www.travel.state.gov/medical.html - this page provides a list of foreign-based medical evacuation companies.
This year I was very close to getting a flu shot but held off at the last moment after hearing of someone who suffered adverse side effects. While I was hesitating though, my colleague got his shot and has been sniffle-free all season. As usual, these family health decisions all boil down to individual judgment and someone in the family had better be keeping up-to-date on the latest health news.
The best sources I've found for international health information are the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The CDC is the US government's official outlet for medical statistical data and public information. Their very thorough web site answers questions about everything from recommended vaccinations for travellers to the latest on mad cow disease and news about those mysterious cruise ship viruses. The WHO is a United Nations organisation dedicated to "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." Their web site provides fascinating data about world health topics as well as specifics about the picture of health in Bulgaria.
If you have children, you might want to know how many cases of measles were reported in Bulgaria in the past few years. How about pertussis (also known as whooping cough) or polio? In 2001, there were eight cases of measles, 81 cases of pertussis and three cases of polio reported. The site also displays the Bulgarian schedule for childhood immunisations if you want to compare to your home country's schedule.
Both web sites list current outbreaks around the world and preventive health safety tips. I was surprised to learn about the current outbreak of diphtheria in all of the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union and relieved to know there have been no reported cases of diphtheria in Bulgaria.
Both sites provide helpful information for travellers where you type in your destination country and it spits back all you need to know about booster shots and updates. For the record, the recommended vaccinations before visiting Bulgaria are:
- Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
- Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than six months, or be exposed through medical treatment.
- Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
- Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.
- As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for 11 to 12-year-olds who did not receive the series as infants.
And if you are planning a cruise ship trip, the CDC site maintains a database of recent sanitation inspections of international cruise ships.
Also, you may want to check your health insurance coverage. You'll need your paperwork in order because it is now mandatory for foreign citizens to show proof of health insurance to border authorities in order to enter Bulgaria.
Another item you may want to check is the medical evacuation clause of your health insurance policy. Medical evacuation insurance is not included in standard policies and usually requires additional cost.
Besides the usual advice "don't drink the water," maintaining your family's health while abroad can be challenging. When in doubt, contact your healthcare provider. My list of resources is always meant to augment consultation with experts, not substitute for advice. Now after reading about a flu epidemic in Africa and experiencing it here in Sofia, I'm a little more likely to get my shot next year. In my opinion, the adverse side effects can't equal the difficulties of the last three weeks!
Additional Resources:
www.cdc.gov - Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia - includes the latest information on diseases, traveller immunisations and cruise ship hygiene reports.
www.who.int - The World Health Organisation in Geneva.
www.travel.state.gov/medical.html - this page provides a list of foreign-based medical evacuation companies.
