When traveling to many parts of the world you will need to take a whole array of vaccinations. One of them is the Typhoid vaccine. There are two methods that were available to me, an injection that they say lasts for two years, and a series of pills that lasts for five years. I have only taken the pills so this post will focus on that.
There are four pills that are refrigerated that you take every other day for eight days.
The side effects are…
low fever;
headache;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain; or
mild skin rash.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.
Information from RxList
The side effects I have been experiencing are nausea, vomiting, and diahrea, and feeling generally unwell. Even with all these side effects, I would rather suffer a bit for a week now, then to suffer greatly and end up in the hospital later.
So why take it?
From CDC website
What is typhoid fever?
Typhoid fever is a serious disease spread by contaminated food and water. Symptoms of typhoid include lasting high fevers, weakness, stomach pains, headache, and loss of appetite. Some patients have constipation, and some have a rash. Internal bleeding and death can occur but are rare.
Who is at risk?
Typhoid fever is common in most parts of the world except in industrialized regions such as the United States, Canada, western Europe, Australia, and Japan, so travelers to the developing world should consider taking precautions. Travelers to Asia, Africa, and Latin America are especially at risk, and the highest risk for typhoid is in south Asia.
About 300 people get typhoid fever in the United States each year, and most of these people have recently traveled. About 22 million cases of typhoid fever and 200,000 related deaths occur worldwide each year.
