Travelling to Kenya - vaccination and Jab help please!?

I would say yes on the meningitis vaccine. It is recommended for adolescents now anyway, especially if you are or will be living in a communal setting (like a school dormitory). The conjugate vaccine (it is called Menactra in the US) is best if it is available in your area. The need for rabies vaccine is more difficult to judge. It is an expensive vaccine. The pros of vaccine are that if you get exposed to a possibly rabid animal, you only need two additional doses of rabies vaccine, which is available in most areas around the world. If you do not have the pre-exposure rabies vaccine, if you are exposed, you need four (used to be five but was recently lowered to four in the US- again recommendations might be different where you live) doses of vaccine, and more importantly, you also need Rabies Immune Globulin which is NOT available in many developing countries. In that case you would likely need to be medically evacuated to your home country or to another country that has the RIG. The risk of exposure really depends on how much outdoor exposure you will have and if you will be specifically handling animals. If you do not choose the rabies vaccine, it is very important that you have insurance that covers medical evacuation. (I recommend this insurance anyway in case of sudden illness or injury.) You should also make sure you are up to date on all your usual vaccines, especially measles and polio. I definitely agree with the typhoid, Hep A and B.

Rabies and Meingococcal Meningtis vaccinations regardless of how much you are spending should have them. Check out here for more information. http://kenyaholidayspeopleandlifestyle.blogspot.com/2009/12/kenya-holidays-travel-tips.html

You need Rabies vaccination and meningitis vaccine (all the doses recommended by your nurse- get advice from them). You might find there are some nasty side effects for mefloquine (check the bupa link below). I take doxycycline instead (check that you are old enough to take it though- I am not sure of your age. You have to be 12 or over. See the welltravelledclinics website below. It is a pdf file but contains the times to avoid taking doxycycline). Also you need the MMR vaccine if you have never had it. It's link to Autism has been riddiculed in the news- doctors are saying it is safe. Seek medical advice though as I am not a doctor and therefore will not be held liable for any wrong advice! You need a Polio booster/vaccine if you are due (check with your nurse). I am just using my previous knowledge as I have been to Kenya several times and always see a nurse about vaccines. You also need Tetanus and Diphtheria if you are due for a booster. The cholera vaccine is not usually recommended as it has never been very effective although you may want to get the latest advice on this. If you have not had a BCG vaccine then you should also have that to prevent Tuberculosis infection. If you have had it, the vaccine sometimes wears off so you want to ask your nurse/doctor if you can be tested to see if you still have immunity to Tuberculosis (it is a simple blood test and will tell you if you need the vaccine again). Tell your nurse you are travelling to Kenya and ask her to recommend which vaccines you need but you definitely need the Rabies and Meningococcal Meningitis vaccines. The others you have not mentioned (but I have mentioned them above) depend on whether you are up to date or not with your boosters and whether you have had MMR and the BCG. Seek advice on these from your doctor or nurse. Ensure you carry your yellow fever certificate when you travel. You can buy insect repellant in the country to prevent bites. This well help prevent infection from various diseases. Also carry sun cream or you may burn- lower your chances of skin cancer.

As you will probably find out after your trip, most jabs are very unnecessary. It is easier to catch some diseases in the west than in Africa but with the money involved and the stereotypes, travel advisors make their clients spend endlessly. Visit kenya Health department and tourism department websites to find the mandatory vaccines you need. Mosquitoes and snakes and clean water shuold be your main worries.