Rabies vaccinations for Vietnam

Hi,

I am going to Vietnam for 2 weeks in April. I am just wanting to find out what to do about getting the rabies vaccines, or not.

I have found info saying that it is really only needed if going for more than a month.

Opinions? Would be glad to hear what others think. I would prefer not to get them but am worried that maybe everyone doed and that it is a bad idea not to.

Thanks!

Rabies vaccinations for Vietnam

We went for three weeks and didn%26#39;t bother. If you were going to expose yourself to being bitten by animals, stray, wild or otherwise, I%26#39;d say, yes, go for it. Wild monkeys and bats are a possible rabies carrier, so do avoid them. Rabid dogs tend to behave in a distinctly aggressive way so you%26#39;d be unlikely to go up and pat one, and if chased by one, run like heck. Avoid sick animals for the same reason.

If I was bitten by an animal on our next (four week) trip, I would insist on immediate rabies treatment. You don%26#39;t mess about with rabies, once it takes hold (and the symptoms can be very misleading), it is invariably fatal. But, I would think if you avoid obvious exposure the chances of contracting it are very, very small.

Rabies vaccinations for Vietnam

Thanks for that :)

I will think about it a bit more.

Anyone elses opinions?

Just another thought- rabies is endemic in a lot of places- the US and Europe, for instance, and people there don%26#39;t get rabies vaccinations as a matter of course, nor do visitors.

Where abouts are you going? We went to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon - we stayed for 2 weeks and didn%26#39;t bother with the vaccination. To be honest I don%26#39;t remember seeing any dogs! In Hanoi and Saigon there are to many motorbikes to have any alive dogs around:)!

Hi

We were there for three weeks and were advised by our doctor that we didn%26#39;t need rabies shots. No one in our group of travellers had got them either. Would agree didn%26#39;t see many dogs at all (lol would also agree with the motobike comment!) Talk to your local health centre for advice is the best bet I think

Cheers

LW-UK :-)

Thanks everyone for your comments. I went today to the travel medical centre and talked to them about the vaccines and had all my other shots.

The doctor said pretty much the same as what everyone here has said, and that we should just avoid animals.

I think it is just a bit scary because we don%26#39;t have rabies in Australia, so it seems more dangerous than it really is....more of a risk I mean.

Anyway thanks all! BTW am going to Hanoi/Halong Bay/Sapa/Hue.

Thanks

We have lyssavirus here in Australia...its like rabies and just as lethal. Bats and flying foxes carry it. I only found that out doing my own rabies research for our Vietnam trip...never heard of it till last week!