What's up, Doc? (18-01-2012)
What's Up, Doc?, published on our Health page every Wednesday, features questions from our readers, including members of the expatriate community and those who have recently arrived in Viet Nam, about their health concerns. Email your questions to newsdesk@vnsmail.com.
What kind of infectious diseases should I get vaccinated against if I am coming to Viet Nam? Should vaccinations be carried out before arriving in the country?
Eric Price, Ha Noi
Dear Eric,
In Viet Nam, you can now find almost all types of vaccines against infectious diseases, and these vaccines are used around the world, such as those for yellow fever, flu, cholera and rabies.
In order to ensure active immunisation against infectious diseases, you should get the vaccine at least two weeks or one month before coming to Viet Nam.
Foreigners should vaccinate themselves against digestive diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and respiratory diseases such as seasonal flu, rabies, meningitis or yellow fever if they are planning to come to Viet Nam.
Those who are yet to be vaccinated against some infectious diseases may get shots at all preventive medicine units or hospitals in Viet Nam.
Foreigners don't have to get vaccinated against diseases that have been eliminated in Viet Nam such as polio, smallpox and leprosy. Some dangerous infectious diseases such as SARS, avian influenza H5N1, H1N1, acute diarrhoea and dengue fever have also been controlled in the country during the past years.
Prof. Nguyen Tran Hien, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology
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