Anti Tnf and yellow fever vaccine

maryow

I'm new to posting, I have RA and am on mtx and enbrel. After a rubbish year, we've booked a holiday to Kenya thinking I had already had all the vaccinations I would need but apparently you also need yellow fever which is a live vaccine so I can't have it. I rang rheumatology and they basically told me I couldn't go. Does anyone know anything about this? Do you really need the vaccination or is it just scaremongering?

Thanks

Mary

tillytop

Oh Mary what a difficult situation to be in.

Thinking of you.

Tilly xxx

stickywicket

I think, as Del said, the F.O. site would be a good place to start for assessing risks. One of the problems is that, if you got it, it's not just what it might do to your arthritis, its what it would do to your travel insurance ie blow it to smithereens.

No-one can take a decision for you. Research as much as you can. If you decide not to go it might just be possible to get a refund.

maryow

Thanks for your replies. After quite a lot of research, it turns out that the recommendations for vaccinations are based on guidance provided by the World Health Organisation. WHO updayed their guidance in April 2011 but it has not filtered through to the mainstream sites such as NHS Fit for travel etc. Yellow fever vaccine is no longer recommended for the area I am going to.

If anyone else has any silmilar problems or queries, I suggest using either the NaTHNaC or WHO website.

Thanks again

Mary

stickywicket

Phew! I bet you need a holiday after that, maryow.

Hope you enjoy it.

Useful info. Thanks.