Today I started the long list of shots I need before moving to China. The surprise pain of this is not the physical pain (though my arm is very sore!), but the cost! Yikes. Today just the start was over $300. I'll easily spend another $900 and that's after reading about each vaccine, the risks of not getting it, and paring the list down as much as reasonably possible.
I sure would not have guessed a few weeks ago that I'd be shelling out over $1000 on vaccines so I thought I'd make a public service announcement here for those of you budgeting for your moves/negotiating your moving and getting settled allowance.
Started vaccines today.... OUCH.
There are no *required* vaccines for the work permit. I got a list of recommended vaccines from the Center for Disease Control and from the World Health Organization. My appointment was with a Travel Medicine Clinic and I got their recommendations as well.
I could have gotten the work visa and showed up for work with none of these at all. If I were planning on never leaving Shanghai the years I am there I could probably have saved another one or two of them, but I want the option to travel to rural areas.
The one that showed up on every list that I decided I am definitely going to skip was rabies - it turns out that even with the vaccine, you have to have post-rabies treatment just like anyone else, it's just that the vaccine gives you a wider time window to get medical treatment. Without it, any animal bite needs to get to a doctor within 24 hours. Less than 20% of dogs in China are vaccinated for rabies, so I will be keeping my distance. Rabies vaccination costs about $1000 just on its own...
I could have gotten the work visa and showed up for work with none of these at all. If I were planning on never leaving Shanghai the years I am there I could probably have saved another one or two of them, but I want the option to travel to rural areas.
The one that showed up on every list that I decided I am definitely going to skip was rabies - it turns out that even with the vaccine, you have to have post-rabies treatment just like anyone else, it's just that the vaccine gives you a wider time window to get medical treatment. Without it, any animal bite needs to get to a doctor within 24 hours. Less than 20% of dogs in China are vaccinated for rabies, so I will be keeping my distance. Rabies vaccination costs about $1000 just on its own...
It would be much cheaper and better to do it in China since their vaccines are more effective against their particular strains of the disease that are prevalent there. The common method for making vaccines is the same and not exactly that hard to reproduce.
Just find a reputable looking hospital and if the dr speaks some english, then it would be fine. They are well versed in what we assume as common hygiene practices in the big city hospitals (and many private/expensive ones are at a much higher standard than some western hospitals). I wouldn't bother if I was in the country side unless I was dying, they're a bit of a lottery for quality control.
Just find a reputable looking hospital and if the dr speaks some english, then it would be fine. They are well versed in what we assume as common hygiene practices in the big city hospitals (and many private/expensive ones are at a much higher standard than some western hospitals). I wouldn't bother if I was in the country side unless I was dying, they're a bit of a lottery for quality control.
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Your spending way too much. Outside of your standard adult vaccinations the only ones you need for Shanghai is Hepatitis A and B, and your insurance may cover that. If you were in a rural area id add typhoid. You dont need rabies, J.Encepalitis, Varicilla, Avian flu, etc. If you were going to get those expensive ones id get them once in China at a foreign medical clinic. The only "required" vaccine is yellow fever if your coming from an infected area which is mainly in Africa.
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TxTeach's post is in line with my experience. I knew that the work visa didn't require me to get a vaccine but I too wanted to feel comfortable traveling. What I thought was going to be a simple visit to my family physician turned into a 2-week long expensive scavenger hunt. The physician referred me to the State Health Department, which then referred me to the local Walgreens (corner drugstore). I'm not too thrilled with trusting my health to a franchise corner store but they seem to have a hold on the market.
The store ordered the shots and I went in several days later. To my (and the head pharmacist's) surprise we discovered that Rabies and J.Encephalitis were $500 and $830 respectively -- with insurance. These were deal-breakers for me and she understood. (I think they can send them back and get reimbursed.) I did end up spending a total of about $300 on Hep A shot, Typhoid (4 pills), and Polio booster. Fortunately, I've had the routine ones and Hep B series.
As far as Yellow Fever... yep, not necessary coming from the States. A Malaria vaccination required a $70 consultation with a faraway passport health clinic nurse on top of the unknown cost of the vaccine itself. After reading up on the need, I cancelled appt.
I am curious about the quality of vaccines in large Chinese cities though. Anyone?
I'm also interested in the international vaccine records if someone could address this for me.
The store ordered the shots and I went in several days later. To my (and the head pharmacist's) surprise we discovered that Rabies and J.Encephalitis were $500 and $830 respectively -- with insurance. These were deal-breakers for me and she understood. (I think they can send them back and get reimbursed.) I did end up spending a total of about $300 on Hep A shot, Typhoid (4 pills), and Polio booster. Fortunately, I've had the routine ones and Hep B series.
As far as Yellow Fever... yep, not necessary coming from the States. A Malaria vaccination required a $70 consultation with a faraway passport health clinic nurse on top of the unknown cost of the vaccine itself. After reading up on the need, I cancelled appt.
I am curious about the quality of vaccines in large Chinese cities though. Anyone?
I'm also interested in the international vaccine records if someone could address this for me.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Geez, that's a lot of money. I didn't get any shots before I came here and I didn't bother with them once in China. Maybe I should have gotten vaccines but I just kind of forgot about it. But I certainly wouldn't get vaccinated in the US - wait until you are in China. The hospitals are insane and fairly useless for medical care but you should at least be able to get the proper vaccines there, and it will be MUCH cheaper than in the US.
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@LorneBr
The more esoteric immunizations like JapE, Rabies, etc can be expensive, but there is a lot of variation in prices depending on where you go. The reason why they were so expensive, was that the provider has to order at whole vile of vaccine which has a set cost, and get about 10-14 doses of vaccine. If your provider cant reasonably sell that vaccine before it expires, then they end up eating the cost of the unused doses, since they ordered it just for you, they were reasoning that aside from you the rest of the vaccine would be wasted.
There are very few makers of a given treatment vaccine, typically only 1 or 2 production labs make a particular vaccine, and since the largest most profitable markets are in countries with well regulated medical and pharmacological regulation, there is little money in making vaccine that doesnt meet those high requirements, regardless of the actual market. It cost more to actually run a line making an inferior vaccine then the incremental cost of increased production.
As such at the international travel clinics you will find in major chinese cities the vaccine is the same as you would find in western countries. What is at issue is how they locally handle that vaccine. If you go to such an international clinic you should be offered to inspect the vile to see that it has not expired, and if not you should ask. While examining the expiration date, notice the temperature, the vile should should be cold to the touch.
The "Yellow book" vaccine card which serves as a place to also record additional medical information is the generally accepted and recognized record for your vaccines. However it is only required for the yellow fever vaccine, and any other record will suffice. The yellow card is convenient, but really as long as you know your expiration dates and in case of an emergency your school or emergency contact has access to them then its not necessary.It is called the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, and you can find several sources online to order one or can get one from your medical provider.
I would have or consider having a TDP (Tetanus) booster before leaving.
The more esoteric immunizations like JapE, Rabies, etc can be expensive, but there is a lot of variation in prices depending on where you go. The reason why they were so expensive, was that the provider has to order at whole vile of vaccine which has a set cost, and get about 10-14 doses of vaccine. If your provider cant reasonably sell that vaccine before it expires, then they end up eating the cost of the unused doses, since they ordered it just for you, they were reasoning that aside from you the rest of the vaccine would be wasted.
There are very few makers of a given treatment vaccine, typically only 1 or 2 production labs make a particular vaccine, and since the largest most profitable markets are in countries with well regulated medical and pharmacological regulation, there is little money in making vaccine that doesnt meet those high requirements, regardless of the actual market. It cost more to actually run a line making an inferior vaccine then the incremental cost of increased production.
As such at the international travel clinics you will find in major chinese cities the vaccine is the same as you would find in western countries. What is at issue is how they locally handle that vaccine. If you go to such an international clinic you should be offered to inspect the vile to see that it has not expired, and if not you should ask. While examining the expiration date, notice the temperature, the vile should should be cold to the touch.
The "Yellow book" vaccine card which serves as a place to also record additional medical information is the generally accepted and recognized record for your vaccines. However it is only required for the yellow fever vaccine, and any other record will suffice. The yellow card is convenient, but really as long as you know your expiration dates and in case of an emergency your school or emergency contact has access to them then its not necessary.It is called the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, and you can find several sources online to order one or can get one from your medical provider.
I would have or consider having a TDP (Tetanus) booster before leaving.