Prep for Tanzania: Immunizations and Prophylaxis

So this brings back memories: traveling to a developing country near the Equator, working with locals towards better health. In 2008, I went on a medical brigade trip to Honduras and helped another group plan a brigade to Vietnam. In preparation for Honduras, I learned about travel clinics and immunizations and diseases that are basically non-existent in the U.S. but prevalent in these parts of the world. It is quite an eye-opening experience to learn how to prevent getting malaria, typhoid and dengue, the likes of which one would never really encounter here in Seattle.

For Tanzania, proof of a yellow fever vaccine administration is actually required to enter the country! It's also advisable to receive the typhoid vaccine; polio and tetanus booster; and Hepatitis A. Then there's the malaria dilemma. There is no vaccine against malaria but there are malaria prophylaxis. Malaria prophylaxis are antimalarial medication that would help you fight malaria if you're bitten by a mosquito that has the pathogen. Many of the options available require the traveler to take the pills a week prior to entering the malaria zone and up to 4 weeks after leaving the zone. And then I was told about medical evacuation insurance that I will have to get. This is in case something catastrophic happens and I need to be airlifted out of Tanzania to South Africa or a European Country for quality care.

That's pretty intense, right?

Well, I had my travel clinic appointment this morning and updated all my immunizations and am good to go on that front. It's a humbling thought really. Here I am, getting ready to go to Tanzania, a place of 42 million people and I go through this big list of preventative health checks. It is so great that I have  access to these amazing medical breakthroughs. But what about the people living there already? Yes, many will have built up immunity because they've lived there for a long period of time but how is their quality of care?

I can't wait for the day when places like Tanzania, Honduras and Vietnam have effective and high-quality healthcare that people have full access to. It is something that has required and will continue to require hard work and perseverance and I know it is something I will work towards for the rest of my life. I believe it is possible! :)