Preparations

We've had to get quite a few vaccinations ahead of this trip. My regular doctor was willing to do the research and give me the necessary vaccinations (minus the ones they don't stock or are not trained to give). But Joe was referred to the Travel Clinic (there's one near Fuddruckers on Market St.). The travel clinic doesn't take insurance and you have to pay a $60 fee for the visit plus the cost of the vaccinations. The doctor researches the area you are visiting and then makes recommendations on the vaccinations you will need.

This is what was recommended for us:
-Get up-to-date on routine shots (MMR, DPT, you remember those right?)
-Hepatitis A ($62) and Hepatitis B
-Polio ($35)
-Typhoid ($58)
-A prescription for Cipro for travelers' diarrhea
-A prescription to prevent malaria

A word about the malaria...
We were both originally prescribed a drug called malarone for malaria, but when we went to the pharmacy to fill it, we discovered it would cost us $125 each. Joe just happened to know that doxycycline is also an acceptable anti-malarial from when he had to take it for his Lyme Disease in the summer (thank god for reading those pamphlets). It cost him $12 then, he knew it would be cheaper than $125 now.

We had to go back to the doctor's office for a new prescription, because there was no way we were going to pay that much when we knew there was a cheaper alternative. It turns out the prescription for doxycycline cost us around $4 each. $4!!!

I'm not about to start a conversation here about the pharmaceutical business, but...$4!!!! You can be malaria-free for $125 or you can be malaria-free for $4.

I'm just saying....