Specific Trip Types – What You Need
Two-Week Standard Tourist Route
- Route: Hanoi (3 days) → Halong Bay (2 days) → Hoi An (3 days) → Ho Chi Minh City (3 days) → Mekong day tour
- Vaccines: Hepatitis A (£50), Typhoid (£50), DTP (£50)
- Total: £150
Urban cities and coastal areas. Brief Mekong day tour doesn’t warrant full JE vaccine. No malaria risk on this route.
Three-Week Backpacker Adventure
- Route: Hanoi → Ha Giang Loop (4 days) → Sapa trekking (3 days) → Halong Bay → Hoi An → HCMC → Mekong homestays (3 days)
- Season: July-August (rainy season)
- Vaccines: Hepatitis A (£50), Typhoid (£50), Japanese Encephalitis (£220), Rabies (£255), DTP (£50)
- Total: £625
Ha Giang Loop through remote rural areas. Sapa rice terraces during rainy season = maximum JE risk. Mekong homestays in August = peak mosquito breeding. Rural travel means rabies exposure with limited treatment access.
Year Teaching English
- Location: 12 months Da Nang, weekend trips to rural areas
- Vaccines: Hepatitis A (£50), Hepatitis B (£150), Typhoid (£50), Japanese Encephalitis (£220), Rabies (£255), DTP (£50)
- Total: £775
Year-long exposure accumulates risk. Weekend rural trips mean JE exposure. Working with children increases animal encounter risk. Potential medical treatment means Hepatitis B matters.
Ten-Day Beach Holiday
- Route: Nha Trang beach resort (7 days) → Island day trip
- Season: February (dry season)
- Vaccines: Hepatitis A (£50), Typhoid (£50), DTP (£50)
- Total: £150
Beach resort with good sanitation. Dry season, coastal location. No rural exposure. No malaria risk.
Motorcycle Tour: Hanoi to HCMC
- Route: 3-4 weeks riding from north to south along coastal and mountain routes
- Vaccines: Hepatitis A (£50), Typhoid (£50), Japanese Encephalitis (£220), Rabies (£255), DTP (£50)
- Total: £625
Motorcycle travel means extensive rural exposure. Riding through agricultural areas at dawn/dusk (peak mosquito times). Potential for accidents involving animals. Remote areas with limited medical access. Rabies vaccination non-negotiable for extended motorbiking.
Your Consultation – What Happens
Before Your Appointment
Bring detailed Vietnam itinerary: exact cities and days in each, any rural areas, travel dates and months (rainy season May-Oct matters for JE), accommodation types, planned activities, previous vaccination records, current medications, payment method.
During Consultation (20-30 minutes)
- Detailed itinerary review: We go through your exact Vietnam plans. Two days in Hanoi and two weeks on Phu Quoc? Very different from three weeks trekking northern Vietnam during monsoon.
- Risk assessment: Based on your plans, we assess Japanese Encephalitis risk, rabies exposure likelihood, malaria risk, whether extended stay vaccines matter.
- Honest recommendations: If you don’t need Japanese Encephalitis, we tell you and save you £220. If you do need it, we explain exactly why.
- Vaccination: Multiple vaccines given in one appointment using different injection sites. Takes about 10 minutes.
- Documentation: Vaccination record card, written malaria advice if visiting risk areas, clear side effects guidance.
After Your Appointment
- Follow-up doses: Book next appointments before leaving if you need multi-dose vaccines.
- Questions: Call us. Email us. We’re here for post-vaccination concerns.
- Book here or call 01622 745567
Vaccine Side Effects
- Hepatitis A and Typhoid: Sore arm (20-30%), mild tiredness, headache. Among the safest vaccines available. Most people notice nothing beyond slightly sore arm for a day.
- Japanese Encephalitis: Sore arm (30-40%), headache (10-15%), muscle aches (10-15%). Slightly more noticeable than Hepatitis A but still usually mild. Occasionally people feel tired for a day or two.
- Rabies: Sore arm (30-40%), headache, muscle aches, sometimes mild fever. Some people find rabies vaccine causes more noticeable side effects but they’re typically mild.
Managing side effects:
Paracetamol for discomfort. Keep moving your arm normally. Cold compress if helpful. Rest if needed. Drink plenty of water.
When to seek help:
Difficulty breathing or facial swelling (call 999), severe persistent headache, high fever lasting 3+ days, severe injection site pain worsening after 48 hours.
Serious reactions are extremely rare – less than 1 in 100,000 doses.
Side Effects vs Disease Risk
Vaccine side effects last 1-3 days and resolve completely. Japanese Encephalitis kills 20-30% of people who develop severe symptoms and leaves 30-50% of survivors with permanent brain damage. Rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms appear. Typhoid causes weeks of severe illness.
A sore arm for two days versus life-threatening disease. The choice is clear.
Special Considerations
Children and Families
All Vietnam travel vaccines suitable for children at appropriate doses. Japanese Encephalitis vaccine licensed from 2 months old. Children face higher JE risk (more vulnerable to severe disease) and higher rabies risk (more likely to approach animals, don’t always report bites).
Pregnant Women
- Generally safe: Hepatitis A, Typhoid (injectable), DTP
- Limited data but may be given if risk high: Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies
The bigger concern is malaria. If visiting malaria-risk areas while pregnant, this is extremely dangerous. Limited antimalarial options are safe in pregnancy.
Assess whether Vietnam travel during pregnancy is wise, especially if visiting rural or malaria-risk areas. If unavoidable, call 01622 745567 to discuss.
Older Travellers (Over 60)
All Vietnam travel vaccines safe for older adults. Immune response might be slightly reduced but protection still good. Don’t skip vaccines due to age. The diseases are more dangerous for older adults than vaccine side effects.
Immunocompromised Travellers
All Vietnam vaccines are inactivated (killed) vaccines, generally safe for immunocompromised travellers. Protection might be reduced depending on immunosuppression degree. Discuss with your specialist and coordinate care.
Beyond Vaccines – Complete Vietnam Health
Food and Water Safety
Drink bottled water with intact seal. Avoid ice. Brush teeth with bottled water. Eat hot, thoroughly cooked food. Street food is part of Vietnam culture but choose vendors carefully (busy stalls = fresh food). Avoid raw/undercooked meat and seafood. Peel fruits yourself.
Traveller’s Diarrhoea
About 40% of Vietnam travellers get diarrhoea despite precautions. Pack: rehydration salts (crucial in Vietnam’s heat), loperamide, azithromycin antibiotic for severe cases (we can provide prescription).
Motorbike Safety
Motorbike accidents are the leading cause of tourist injuries and deaths in Vietnam. If riding: always wear helmet, don’t ride if inexperienced, avoid night riding, check insurance covers motorbike riding, consider rabies vaccination.
Medical Facilities
- Major cities: International-standard hospitals with English-speaking doctors. Good emergency care.
- Rural areas: Very limited facilities. Serious problems require evacuation to major cities or Thailand.
Medical evacuation insurance crucial. Air ambulance from rural Vietnam to Bangkok or Singapore can cost £20,000-40,000.
After Your Vietnam Trip
Feel unwell after returning? Some tropical diseases have delayed symptoms.
Seek immediate attention if
- Fever within 12 months (could be malaria)
- Persistent diarrhoea (2+ weeks)
- Jaundice (yellowing skin/eyes)
- Unusual rash
- Unexplained fatigue
Malaria after return:
If you visited malaria-risk areas and develop fever, this is medical emergency. Go to A&E. Tell them you’ve been to Vietnam. Request urgent malaria testing. Malaria fatal if untreated but completely curable if caught early.
Call Coxheath Pharmacy on 01622 745567 for post-travel health advice.
