Vaccination Recommendations
Immunizations for Crossroads Himalaya Trips to Ladakh, India:
Make an appointment at least 4-6 weeks before your departure to get
vaccinations. A few of these vaccinations require a series, which can take up to
30 days.
Recommended
Hepatitis A: This vaccine should be administered at least two weeks before your departure, but ideally allow four weeks.
Routine Immunizations: Check with your physician to make sure you are up to date on the following: Tetnus-diptheria, MMR, Varicella, and Polio.
Optional
Malaria: Ladakh is not a malaria-risk region, as it is at an altitude above 2,000 meters. You will be spending at least a day or two in Delhi on either end of your trip, which is a malaria- risk zone. For such a brief time it may not be necessary to take anti-malarial medication, but we advise you to consult your physician or local travel health clinic on this.
Rabies: If you contract rabies, you must receive post-exposure treatment
whether or not you have been immunized against rabies. The pre-exposure
series will allow you more time to be treated, if bitten. We will have
immediate accessibility to a clinic in Leh for this type of treatment, except
during treks and visits to more remote region of Ladakh.
Japanese encephalitis: This is a mosquito-borne viral encephalitis, which is not at all present in the region of Ladakh. Like malaria, the only possible exposure to Japanese Encephalitis would be in Delhi.
Typhoid: At higher elevations typhoid is not as much of a concern, so this is optional.
Resources:
The Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/travel
MD Travel Health: http://www.mdtravelhealth.com
Fletcher Allen Travel Health Services: Burlington, VT (802) 847-1045
World learning Overseas Travel Clinic and SIT Health Center: Brattleboro, VT (802) 258-3358.