Hiya,i travelled to the dominican republic christmas 2005 with 4 children and when i got back i found out i was pregnant,ruby is now 7 months and we want to take her back this christmas but she will be 14 months and too young for injections, are they absolutly needed, she can have the malaria by medicine but i dont no about the others, iv been advised by people to have them but i never had any when i went and there was children younger than ruby there.Iv looked at other countries but its there we want to go,your country is beautiful and no where else comes close...please help!!!
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Check out the State Department or CDC - they will have the shots you will need to take. you can then go to a public health clinic or your family doctor to get them.
Good luck
My experience with an 8 month old.......
I brought my daughter to Sosua from UK in Sept 05 when she 8 months old along with my other daughter who was 3 and a half . The younger one didn't have injections as she was under age for them. She was just between crawling and walking and she was into everything. It's impossible to stop children that age from exploring everything without strapping them into a chair. Everything went into her mouth and she was constantly crawling all round the floor. We ate out most of the time, including Dominican food (they both eat anything and everything) but she was fine and wasn't ill at all. Without wishing to be 'blase' about it, I believe that a little 'dirt' etc helps to build up a child's immunity so I'm not somebody who believes in maintaining a 'sterile' environment for children and gets the bleach spray out the minute they touch something. We've been living here 8 months now without any illness or problems at all. However, my children are both very healthy and resilient and have never really suffered from any health concerns. Also, they're used to spicy and unusual food as I've never given them anything different to what we have. Also make sure you stick to bottled water for drinking.
I did bring childrens medicines for diarrhoea, plus fever reducing medicines (Calpol and Nurofen) but fortunately we never needed them. Although, they're both quite dark skinned, though with blonde hair, I also put loads of factor 30 to 50 on the girls and covered up the youngest with a T-shirt and sunhat when on pool and beach. A parasol on the buggy is a good idea for walking out and about as well. Also, if you can get a (safety approved) swimseat which floats in the pool, my youngest girl floated round in the pool for hours quite happily while I kept an eye on her, and it gave me a bit of a break while I was teaching the youngest to swim.....
I don't believe in giving young children medicine for maleria unless absolutely unavoidable. I used the insect repellant sprays which are suitable for youngsters and covered them up in the evening, burned mosquito coils etc.
I assume you're staying in a tourist area and I'm sure with sensible precautions you'll be fine. It's very difficult with toddlers and young children and I never had much of a 'holiday' over those two weeks...... good luck!
Sorry, I've just read your post again, and realised that you have FOUR other children, so I'm sure you know most of this anyway.... Anyway, maybe the toddlers abroad tips may be of use..... Happy hols.........
I brought my daughter to Sosua from UK in Sept 05 when she 8 months old along with my other daughter who was 3 and a half . The younger one didn't have injections as she was under age for them. She was just between crawling and walking and she was into everything. It's impossible to stop children that age from exploring everything without strapping them into a chair. Everything went into her mouth and she was constantly crawling all round the floor. We ate out most of the time, including Dominican food (they both eat anything and everything) but she was fine and wasn't ill at all. Without wishing to be 'blase' about it, I believe that a little 'dirt' etc helps to build up a child's immunity so I'm not somebody who believes in maintaining a 'sterile' environment for children and gets the bleach spray out the minute they touch something. We've been living here 8 months now without any illness or problems at all. However, my children are both very healthy and resilient and have never really suffered from any health concerns. Also, they're used to spicy and unusual food as I've never given them anything different to what we have. Also make sure you stick to bottled water for drinking.
I did bring childrens medicines for diarrhoea, plus fever reducing medicines (Calpol and Nurofen) but fortunately we never needed them. Although, they're both quite dark skinned, though with blonde hair, I also put loads of factor 30 to 50 on the girls and covered up the youngest with a T-shirt and sunhat when on pool and beach. A parasol on the buggy is a good idea for walking out and about as well. Also, if you can get a (safety approved) swimseat which floats in the pool, my youngest girl floated round in the pool for hours quite happily while I kept an eye on her, and it gave me a bit of a break while I was teaching the youngest to swim.....
I don't believe in giving young children medicine for maleria unless absolutely unavoidable. I used the insect repellant sprays which are suitable for youngsters and covered them up in the evening, burned mosquito coils etc.
I assume you're staying in a tourist area and I'm sure with sensible precautions you'll be fine. It's very difficult with toddlers and young children and I never had much of a 'holiday' over those two weeks...... good luck!
Sorry, I've just read your post again, and realised that you have FOUR other children, so I'm sure you know most of this anyway.... Anyway, maybe the toddlers abroad tips may be of use..... Happy hols.........
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Hi everyone thanks for your posts,did any of your childrens had the basic injections like mmr,my children havent had the either due to 2 cot deaths in the family which im glad i didnt as the now think its genetic,there is a big age gap with my kids with the oldest being 20 and the youngest 7mths and all the older children had all the ones they needed to go because of there age and my sisters kids had every injection going and she has got the illest children i no.im very nevous and even more so after the little girl being abducted in portugal, im meeting my sister there at christmas,she now lives in america and i havent seen her for nine years and iv never seen her 2 little boys so it means alot also maybe preparing for my wedding if all goes ok.Thanks guys il let you no if i book and also anyone elses opinion, i was told the other day i was a very selfish woman for considering taking my baby there so i need to no what im doing. cheers.
I spent a month there and the American family I was with had a toddler. She had no injections. I have gone serveral times and for several years took no shots. I am a believer in herbs and vitamins and did take extra during my time leading up to the trip and during to build my immune system. This has more to do with all the kissing and drink sharing I tend to do in the villages. Everywhere you go--someone has gripe' (did I spell that right?) and if you plan to really be part of the culture--be prepared to share.
We used enough bug spray and deet to come home with extra limbs, this helps with mosquitoes, but what I hate is those little "blood sucker bugs". They get you on the ankles, mostly and leave itchy welts. None of my Dominican friends seem to get them--they said the bugs prefer carne' blanca (white meat?). I found that a nice lathering of oil (baby oil, suntan oil, skin so soft) works wonders for these things. Of course it work by sufficating the little buggers, so if you hike, prepare to come out of the jungle with a bunch of would-be-blood-sucking-corpses on your legs--but at least they aren't biting you.
Also, for mosquitoes--I found that amoung those I travel with-I was troubled least by mosquitoes (I am hardly ever bitten). I think that this is because of the herbs I take to build my immune system. Some of the ingredients (my guess is garlic, tea tree oil) just arent very tasty to mosquitoes. Now I don't use a lot of bug spray unless I am hiking. I just slather myself up with oil and take off...
Take acidophilous (murdered spelling), a good multivitamin, and some immune building herbs and HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE.
We used enough bug spray and deet to come home with extra limbs, this helps with mosquitoes, but what I hate is those little "blood sucker bugs". They get you on the ankles, mostly and leave itchy welts. None of my Dominican friends seem to get them--they said the bugs prefer carne' blanca (white meat?). I found that a nice lathering of oil (baby oil, suntan oil, skin so soft) works wonders for these things. Of course it work by sufficating the little buggers, so if you hike, prepare to come out of the jungle with a bunch of would-be-blood-sucking-corpses on your legs--but at least they aren't biting you.
Also, for mosquitoes--I found that amoung those I travel with-I was troubled least by mosquitoes (I am hardly ever bitten). I think that this is because of the herbs I take to build my immune system. Some of the ingredients (my guess is garlic, tea tree oil) just arent very tasty to mosquitoes. Now I don't use a lot of bug spray unless I am hiking. I just slather myself up with oil and take off...
Take acidophilous (murdered spelling), a good multivitamin, and some immune building herbs and HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE.
Lucky enough none of us were bitten either so im hoping baby will be the same,we have been looking for somewhere else to go but i loved my last holiday there to the fun tropicale so im really excited if we come back.we didnt want to come back,maybe one day!!