After two days of wrangling and tossing and turning at night, our contact, Jimmie Schramm (thanks, Jimmie!) over at the Infectious Disease Center of Tampa Bay lessened our stress levels this morning.
It seems that the manufacturer of the Japanese Encephelitus immunization is no longer making the shot available to the public. Jimmie verified this with the Department of Health that it is no longer available and they confirmed that if for some acute reason we needed it then we would need to contact the manufacturer directly and fill out a pound of paperwork. Jimmie even called the Center for Disease Control to verify this.
So even if we wanted to get the shot as a precaution it is no longer available.
Now I feel better about not taking the chance on getting any of those nasty reactions, but what are the chances we will contact JE over in China? Can anyone say Deet 30%?
Stay tuned for more hijinx and adventure!
11.22.2008
11.21.2008
My Kinda Town...
There are so many appealing things about Chicago that I contemplated moving there after my last divorce back in 2002 - it's an amazing city and if you haven't been lately - it just gets better and better! Even more appealing now is that we get to visit Jennifer's brother and sister, David and Susan, and tour the city with local folks.
Friday night David and I snuck over the border and hit the poker room at Binion's Horseshoe. Saturday had football, shopping, and then an incredible steak over where Frank Sinatra used to hold court; Gene & Georgetti's. We took in the Shedd Aquarium and laughed for hours as Katheryn entertained us with song and dance and general five year old craziness.
Last weekend was the last visit for a while and like always David, Donna, Susan, and Princess Kathryn showed us a great time with the ubiquitious biting cold, some sleet and rain, and even a dusting of snow Friday night - great xmas weather!
Thank you Bevan's for a wonderful weekend and we are going to miss you guys terribly over the next year or so..:(
11.20.2008
A Booster of Anxiety
As Jenn and I were grinding our way through the drive-thru line at Starbucks this morning, we were wondering just exactly how dangerous is it, medically-speaking, to move to China and live there and explore the country for a year? After spending the next few hours at the Infectious Disease Associates of Tampa Bay medical center for travelers, we agreed that, in a word: plenty.
Here is what is recommended for us since we are living, working, and will be exploring the country for more than a few weeks:
Hepatitus A | Typhoid | Hepatitus B | Japanese Encephalitis | Tick-borne Encephalitis | Rabies | Influenza | Tetanus/diptheria | Measles | Pneumococcal | Polio | Varicella
There is also the malaria and the everpresent traveler's diarrhea to consider, along with the worldwide alert about Melamine-contaminated dairy products and the Avian influenze (bird flu).
All this and they also say we are not allowed to swim in lakes or streams because bad organisms will swim into 'openings' and things get very ugly.
Intrepid travelers that we are, we are still joking with each other about the joys of eating street food when our doctor briefs on Japanese Encephelitis. Suddenly, it is time to sober up.
Basically, (JE) means swelling of the brain and it's spread, like malaria, through mosquitoes. Mild infections cause fever and headache, severe infections cause death - in 1 out of 4 cases. Those are LOUSY odds.
Our anxiety for the day is tweaked when we learn the risks of simply getting the immunization shot:
About 1 in 5 has soreness, redness, or swelling at shot location...no problem there.
About 1 in 10 has fever, headache, muscle pain, cramps, rash, chills, nausea/vomiting, dizziness...nothing worse than an evening of watching Lou Dobbs - we're still good.
And, less than .5% have severe reactions. What's severe? It's a live vaccine so in these cases the patient actually develops Japanese Encephalitis. Rash, swelling of throat, hands, feet, breathing difficulty, hoarsness, hives, neurological complications. Oh, and the kicker - there is no treatment for JE.
Now I don't mind shots, and Jenn is a pharmacist and she is certified to provide immunizations now - but the JE shot has us more than a little freaked out. Out of all the others, this is a precautionary shot that I wish we did not need, but no matter how we look at it, we do.
So we are scheduled to get the shot tomorrow. It has to be given within two weeks of leaving on our trip so we can seek immediate medical attention if we have any negative reactions. Hopefully if I do have a reaction I can continue to type...:)
The CDC calls China a developing nation in the lower half of the world's economies where the summers are generally hot and humid and winters are cold in all non-tropical areas. A high level of medical care can be received in Beijing. Everywhere else provides what they refer to as 'adequate' (meaning not up to industrialized country standards) and you can get this in Shanghai (fortunately!), and three other major cities. Shortages of routine meds and supplies are common and it is suggested we get adequate evacuation coverage as a high priority.
Here is what is recommended for us since we are living, working, and will be exploring the country for more than a few weeks:
Hepatitus A | Typhoid | Hepatitus B | Japanese Encephalitis | Tick-borne Encephalitis | Rabies | Influenza | Tetanus/diptheria | Measles | Pneumococcal | Polio | Varicella
There is also the malaria and the everpresent traveler's diarrhea to consider, along with the worldwide alert about Melamine-contaminated dairy products and the Avian influenze (bird flu).
All this and they also say we are not allowed to swim in lakes or streams because bad organisms will swim into 'openings' and things get very ugly.
Intrepid travelers that we are, we are still joking with each other about the joys of eating street food when our doctor briefs on Japanese Encephelitis. Suddenly, it is time to sober up.
Basically, (JE) means swelling of the brain and it's spread, like malaria, through mosquitoes. Mild infections cause fever and headache, severe infections cause death - in 1 out of 4 cases. Those are LOUSY odds.
Our anxiety for the day is tweaked when we learn the risks of simply getting the immunization shot:
About 1 in 5 has soreness, redness, or swelling at shot location...no problem there.
About 1 in 10 has fever, headache, muscle pain, cramps, rash, chills, nausea/vomiting, dizziness...nothing worse than an evening of watching Lou Dobbs - we're still good.
And, less than .5% have severe reactions. What's severe? It's a live vaccine so in these cases the patient actually develops Japanese Encephalitis. Rash, swelling of throat, hands, feet, breathing difficulty, hoarsness, hives, neurological complications. Oh, and the kicker - there is no treatment for JE.
Now I don't mind shots, and Jenn is a pharmacist and she is certified to provide immunizations now - but the JE shot has us more than a little freaked out. Out of all the others, this is a precautionary shot that I wish we did not need, but no matter how we look at it, we do.
So we are scheduled to get the shot tomorrow. It has to be given within two weeks of leaving on our trip so we can seek immediate medical attention if we have any negative reactions. Hopefully if I do have a reaction I can continue to type...:)
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