Dear All,

I am planning a 3-month tour to "medically challenging areas" and I am quite sure I have to get a few shots well in advance to be on the safe side.

Having looked up some earlier threads, I found only this one option http://www.travelclinic.ch/ in Zurich, mentioned about three years ago.

Is it the best place to go/ would you recommend it? Or is there better service somewhere else?

Also, is there any chance my health insurance (Concordia) will pay for the vaccination? I mean, if I just don't have those shots made the insurers will probably have to pay for hospitals etc.

Thanks in advance!

What's wrong with getting them from your GP? He/she should know/be able to find out what you need and arrange them for you.

No, I don't think your insurance will cover it.

Like your username - I'm a circus fan myself.

I do not have a GP in Switzerland as yet; another overlooked arrangement... So I thought I would go straight to some specialized vaccination center.

Thanks for complimenting my username

This thread may help. Based in Basel but some of the links might also take you to a Zurish based place.

Vaccines/Shots For Trip to India? Where Do I Go In Basel?

Thanks a lot! I just made an appointment

Supplementary insurance will pay for vaccination but the basic insurance not.

Common are malaria, hepatitis, polio, typhus.

They will also suggest for Rabies "Tollwut" vaccination but personally I think its really waste and suffering. Its quite expensive has to be taken 4 times and will cost almost 380 CHF.

Even if one is vaccinated, in case of being bitten by dogs, bats, mouse and some other mammals one need to get additional vaccine. The rabies vaccines only increase window period between getting bitten and taking vaccines. But the doctor will most likely scare you with 100% mortality are.

Thanks for the warning about "Tollwut"!

Yeah, that is right, our fear of exotic deceases is a good way to earn money (like all other fears, IMHO).

My friends keep telling me that the only real threat is malaria (and it means pills, not a shot). I am sure, though, I have to do hepatitis, too.

And 100% mortality is, well, unavoidable even if one stays in a pure, safe country like Switzerland

Good, glad it was of help. Good luck for your travels and enjoy your trip.

I've been twice to Nepal and four times to India. Each time I visited the Travel Clinic in Zurich (the link you provided). They are the pros, and always have the latest situation of disease threats particularly in 3rd world countries. Just make an appointment, bring your vaccination history, and itinerary where you plan to go. They give you all the necessary shots and pills (mainly for malaria). The only thing I brought in addition was a couple boxes of broad spectrum antibiotics which came in very handy at least once.

UK government travel advice, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india

Indian health advice,
http://www.nathnac.org/ds/c_pages/co...age_IN.htm#vpr

Personally, and knowing someone that was bitten by a dog in India, I would take all the recommended vaccinations and precautions.
Some of these diseases are not prevented by vaccinating, but you will then only be slightly ill!

I also know a child that caught Dengue fever there, she went straight into Lausanne hospital for a week on arrival here. No vaccination,
but similarly to malaria you need to take precautions against getting bitten by mosquitoes.

.

I second Karls advice - this is what I did (albeit from New Zealand) prior to going to Nepal.

There is a very useful website used by the travel doctors in Australia and NZ which will give you a free travel health report based on your duration of stay and the time of year you are visiting: http://www.traveldoctor.com.au/TravelHealthPlanner

P.S. I was with someone bitten by a rabid dog in Nepal and their would've been little difference in the treatment based on whether or not that had had the vaccination - in practice the only thing that changed was the length of time the injections needed to continue for. The trick is to always get treatment as soon as possible.

AND wash the wound very thoroughly, which might be difficult in a poor area.

I was bitten by a dog in Delhi. The hospital was scarier than the dog.
Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date before you go.