予防接種 - Vaccination

５月の終わりに予防接種に行ってきました。
受けた予防接種は・・

The lonely planet's "greatest hits" of required vaccines for South America.
・Ａ型肝炎 - Hepatitis A
・腸チフス - Typhoid
・破傷風 - Tetanus

の３つ。Ａ型肝炎と腸チフスは主に汚染された食物・水などから感染。破傷風は傷口などから感染。
最初の二つは衛生環境が整っていない地域が多い国に行く時に推奨されるワクチンで、破傷風は、破傷風菌が自然界の土壌に存在するみたいで、私たちは４日間キャンプしながら｢インカの道｣をハイクしてマチュピチュに行くため受けました。（ちなみに破傷風は日本では三種混合で子どもの時に受けるけど、１０年以上経つと免疫が弱まるためそれをまた上げるために受けました） 


この三つのワクチンを受けただけで

計：約￥４４，０００　（１人）

二人で約￥８８，０００。かなりの出費になったけど、命には代えられない・・。苦しみたくないし・・（´д｀；）


あとは黄熱病の予防接種を受けるかどうか・・・
黄熱病は蚊から感染する病気で、私たちが南米に行くのは向こうが冬の時で主に標高２０００～４０００ｍくらいのところを旅するから（標高２３００ｍ以上は蚊がいない）、黄熱病ウィルスを持っている蚊に刺される可能性はかなり低い。
お医者さんも私達が行く場所を考慮して時期的にも大丈夫だろうと言っていました。
そして1回で1人¥11000という痛い出費・・もちろんお金は命に代えられないけど・・・

どうしようか今だに夫婦で悩み中・・・

So yeah..  I would file this one under "unexpected costs" - it's not that had a figure in mind, but I didn't expect to pay about  $550 per person for vaccines and altitude sickness meds... Japan has an amazing heath-care system.  But we had to act outside of our insurance to get these shots for luxury travel.

Going to get our shots in Shinagawa was an experience in itself.  We got to sit down with a doctor and talk for about 20 min. all about our trip.  He told us all about the safety risks and was very easy going and knowledgeable.  We talked about water purification (a must), food-born illness, and how to avoid  mosquito bites.  He accessed the CDC and other online resources like Travax to show us maps of risk-areas for yellow fever and malaria.  You can guess we probably saved another thousand dollars by steering clear of the Amazon Jungle Basin.  In fact, we'll be spending most of our trip above 2300 meters and hence, above the native habitat of deadly-disease carrying mosquitoes.  I wasn't all that interested in braving the Amazon just for a chance at bird spotting and a chance to eat piranha, thank you very much.

Anyway, we ended up with the three shots you see above and a stock of altitude sickness meds and antibiotics to use in the case of a severely troubled stomach.  Then I got dizzy and had to lie down and wait out a panic attack.. smooth..

We're still on the fence on Yellow Fever.  We would have to go to a different, government run site to get that shot.. some sources say it's required for entry into some SA countries, but the most recent information seems to say that they don't require it if you travel outside of affected areas.  Then there's always the risk of actually getting yellow fever.. and that's not one you want to get, folks..