As For Immunizations
Jim_Canada said:
I am a baseball official going to the Games but have not received any information. My doctor has asked me questions about where we will be staying and eating, to determine what immunization is required.
Your doctor must not be aware of Health Canada/External Affairs and the CDC's rather complete advice sites as to what you need.
Since you are in the capital you can skip malaria treatment in advance unless you are paranoid. Dengue exists but there's no vaccine so use DEET.
Other than that the best advice is to make sure your polio is up to date (a new shot not a booster - in fact they don't even do boosters now), and also Hepatitis A and B.
Regrettably you haven't enough time for the full B series which is 3 shots at 0,1 and 6 months but you can start with the first 2 before August.
A is usually included with the B shots (e.g. TwinRix) but you can get Hep A vaccine alone or get immune globulin good for the time you are there and offering almost instant Hep A immunity. Since Hep A is transmitted by food and water and poor sanitation this is a must.
B is advisable. If you have sexual relations it is mandatory.
And of course tetanus, diptheria and routine immunizations should be current. you don't need Yellow Fever or others like Cholera or Japanese Encephalitis.
There is also supposed to be a new Cholera oral vaccine that offers partial immunity (full immunity to some people I guess is a better way to say it) to E Coli - food borne bacteria that can give you the trots.
You may want to bring ( if you have a drug plan) Ciprofloxacin 500 mg. X 10 (2 a day , 5 days) to treat "turista" though it is cheap and no prescription is required in the DR, and also buy generic Imodium (Loperamide) in Canada like Shopper's Drug Mart brand as name brand Imodium is expensive at a pharmacy in the DR compared to the generics.
General advice is try a day on loperamide and clean water (ginger ale etc.) and if the 2nd day is still bad start the Cipro. Taking antibiotics prophylactically is not recommended, e.g. takign them to prevent turista.
Bactrim/Septra and penicillins and cephalosporins are NOT recommended for turista due to resistance.