Reply To: JCCC: Happy Birthday To Me…. Hand Sanitizers, Flu Shots, etc.
Just checked the CDC site, and here are the pages listing recommended vaccinations for our ports of call:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/netherlands-antilles.htm
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/usvirgin-islands.htm
What they recommend, pretty much, is that you get a shot for typhoid (especially if you’re going to dine on the islands) and make sure you’re up to date on DPT (diptheria/pertussis/tetanus), polio, and MMR (measles/mumps/rubella). They do not list hepatitis A or B as prevalent in the Caribbean, but mention these shots as being generally good to have if you’re a world traveler.
Myself, I figure that there’s a greater risk of being infected by other cruisers on the boat than catching something on an island. I’m going to get DPT for sure (it’s been 10 years), and look into MMR because I think I’m due for a booster based on the CDC’s recommended adult vaccine schedule. I’ll get others, such as typhoid, if the nurse at the local public health clinic recommends them. (I’ve already had a flu shot; I do it every year, religiously, in October.)