[Fultonius]

Just been trying to catch up on the actual incidences of both rabies and JE in China and Indonesia.  Not a lot in it...   so, it would seem to make sense to either get both, or get neither. We've both already started getting rabies (I've had the 1st of 3 injections). There was a big increase in rabies in Bali a few years ago but they seem to be getting that under control.

Oh, and it's now too late to get JE anyway. Hmm...     Better just make sure we don't get bitten. Malaria, dengue, JE - not getting bitten seems to be the plan!

We have not finalised our plans for Indonesia but we're going down through Lombok to the smaller islands further south, then jumping over to Sulawesi.  In China we're going to Yangshuo where the petzl rock trip was a few years ago.

[Lund]

I'm not a tight bastard at all - just trying to weight up the risks against the costs. If we just did eveything that Boots travel clinic recommended, it would cost us:

Jap Ence - £150 each
Cholera - £100 each
Rabies £150 each
Malaria 61 days - £240

That's £640 each 

So far I've discounted

-  cholera (if I don't already have immunity it's just a bad dose of the shits)
- Jap Enc (planning to avoid pig farms and rice paddies (especially at night)

We are both getting the rabies jabs and I think we'll probably just take the Malerone daily while in Indo, but China (and the week in Melbourne in the middle) should be ok.

The Cholera one is free on the NHS I think.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Travel-immunisation/Pages/Immunisations.aspx#Japaneseencephalitis

I like the bit on this one about there being no cure.

Malaria - avoid getting bitten?  Tell that to Cheryl Cole.  Didn't she get it in the airport when changing planes?  Whatever.  I have a friend who got bitten and was very very ill, major kidney issues.  He went to Addis Ababa, where usually the altitude means you don't get it.

You pays your money, or... you risk it.  Fuck your brain swelling up, fuck being left with severe brain damage, fuck that.  If I can't afford the vaccine, I shouldn't be going.

[seankenny]

Cholera you don't really need. I think rabies is well worth it if you go anywhere remote, even tho the jabs are unpleasant.

Get all the jabs but do remember to wear your seatbelt. That's where you're really at risk...

[Offwidth]

Just to up the paranoia level, another benefit of covering up is you keep off the daytime mozzies who give you Dengue fever. I've done a few jungle trips in Malaysia (mainland and borneo) and decided given the risk, cost and side effects its wasnt worth it. In the families of people I work with I dont know anyone out there who caught Malaria but plenty who got Dengue. Further north in parts of Thailand there are some of the most drug resistant mossies anywhere so the meds won't always work.

[Footwork]

I've never gone for the rabies jab, being told you only get an extra 12 hours on the ticker wasn't worth it. Just don't play with monkeys, feed them or have food in your pockets. My cousin started feeding one from his pocket and then it started getting aggressive when he stopped. He had to throw the biscuits on the floor and leg it.

As everyone else has said, try not to get bitten. I was in Addis Ababa for a few months and didn't take anything because my family who lived there didn't. I was paranoid as hell the whole time of getting bitten, which this same cousin capitalised on... Just back from India and I didn't fancy the risk so took Avloclor and Paludrine. It's two a day and they taste like shit, but i did get them for free and no side effects.