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| WORLD CYCLING TOUR PREPARATIONS HEALTH |
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While travelling on a bike
around the world, you are vulnerable to a lot
of different things: traffic, climate, bureacracy,
dogs and health issues. You can do something
about the latter ones. By getting
vaccinations beforehand, you can leave your home
well prepared and that's one worry less !
What we did? After a consult with the local
GGD
(health care centre)
in Arnhem, the Netherlands, we decided we needed
the following vaccinations to keep us going for
the first few years:
We have had some new jabs, see our Time Schedule
below.
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how to vaccine |
longevity |
cost (per
person) |
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| DTP - Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio |
1 injection |
10 years |
€ 24,00 |
| Hepatitus A, Hepatitus B |
3 injections with 1 and 6 month pause +
blood test |
life |
€ 201,00 |
| Typhoid |
1 injection |
3 years (*2) |
€ 30,50 |
| Yellow fever |
1 injection |
10 years |
€ 28,50 |
| Rabies |
3 injections after 0, 7 and 21 days |
2 years (*1) |
€ 87,00 |
| Meningitis |
1 injection |
3 years (*2) |
€ 32,50 |
| Mantoux-test (tuberculosis) |
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€ 23,50 |
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| *1 Rabies booster in New Delhi,
India |
5 years |
€ 6,30 |
| *2 renewed Typhoid and Meningitis
in Quito, Ecuador |
3 years |
€ 24,70 |
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| Time schedule followed: |
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| 31-08-2009 |
we got
another Typhoid injection,
since the last one ran out (vaccinated more
than three years ago) and also got another
Meningitis jab. Also valid for
three years. Both done in a Vacunas farmaceutical
clinic in Quito. No appointment necessary,
just rock up with money (total US$ 69,12
for the two of us). Check out their website
for more info on addresses:
www.vacunasyvancunas.com
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| 05-10-2007 |
we get
another rabies shot (booster) in Delhi,
so we are now "protected" for
5 years. If something would happen, we only
need one or two extra shots with the vaccin
(Rabipur). |
| 30-05-2006 |
went to
Wageningen for the third and last time:
third rabies shot... now only Mantoux
test in Arnhem to go. |
| 16-05-2006 |
second
rabies shot; third in two weeks from now.
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| 09-05-2006 |
first Rabies-shot
at Wageningen University. They put the vaccin
under the skin and it is therfor a lot cheaper
than at the GGD in Arnhem (29 instead of
70 euro). Two more visits in three weeks
and a booster after a year... |
| 02-05-2006 |
shots against
typhoid and meningitis
at the GGD in Arnhem. Valid for three years,
so we have to get shots while we're on our
way... next stop Wageningen for 3 visits
for rabies at the
Vaccinatiecentrum
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| 22-08-2005 |
The results
for the blood test are in and the vaccination
has worked!
The response was normal, i.e. 1000 mlE/ml.
So, according to the guidelines, we're protected
for life against Hepatitis B
and won't be needing any re-vaccination. |
| 19-07-2005 |
We've had
some blood taken from us to be tested on
Hep. B: results in 6 to 8 weeks |
| 07-06-2005 |
Today we
received our third -and last- batch of Twinrix.
We have to get back in six weeks time to
see if there is any result; i.e. checking
our blood for immunity to Hep.A&B. |
| 01-02-2005 |
Second
batch of Twinrix (next stop June) |
| 14-12-2004 |
We get
our first jabs as preparation for our world
tour: DTP, Yellow
Fever and the first batch of Twinrix
(Hepatitus A&B)
We start early with these; these vaccines
last a long time and if we spread them over
the next 3 calender years, we'll get some
money back from our health insurance. Those
vaccinations are expensive enough! |
We'll have to be informed about the malaria risk
around the world and take precausions by taking
tablets with us. But so far ew haven't been in
areas where we thought the risk was big enough
to take tablets.
And next to all this, we've bought
a water purifier, the
Katadyn
Pocket
with a weight of 550 grams.
It filters 1 liter per minute and the element
can filter up to 50,000 liters. It protects against
bacteria, protozoa and chemicals in the water.
After 50,000 litres, you can buy a new cartridge
and start again. |
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INSURANCE
We were insured by World Nomads,
an Australian internet based insurance company.
They are one of the few insurers for long term
travellers and long distance cycling and their
rates used to be OK.
According to World Nomads, there is no limit
to the amount of time that you are away from
'home'. That's what they say in their advertisement,
on their website and in their policies, but...
We had an insurance with World Nomads for three
years and didn't claim anything during that
time. But because World Nomads changed their
underwriter, we are not able to extend our policy
anymore. And they claim you can always extend
your policy! What a bunch of liars, thanks
World Nomads!
We were offered a new policy from World Nomads,
but this comes at a price: the price of the
new policy is 5.3 times more expensive than
the old one. Oh, they did offer us a 25% discount...
which makes the new policy 'only' 3.9 times
more expensive. What a joke!
So, in order to let World Nomads know we are
not very content with their treatment, we have
filed a complaint with the underwriter, Mondial
Assistance, which was, of course, rejected (they
share the same interest: not to listen to their
customers!) We are now engaged in a legal battle,
which will be brought before the Financial Ombudsman
Service in Australia, hopefully before the end
of the year (2009). If this doesn't solve the
problem, we will go to civil court and will
sue for false advertisement. Beware World Nomads!
So here are some of the best insurance companies
we could find (price and cover wise), that will
insure long term bicycle tourers:
British
Mounteneering Council
(For UK and Irish citizens/residents only) They
are so lucky...
WorldWide
Insure
: Our new insurer for the
next part of our trip (from September 2009).
We have to return to Holland after this one
runs out and try and get another insurance company
to cover us. It is nearly impossible to get
a new insurance while on the road...
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HOSPITALISATION AND MEDICATION
As I said before, we haven't claimed anything
on our insurance policy. Although Sonya has seen
the inside of a hospital on several occasions,
the price tag (if any) was always too low to bother
the insurance company with.
We visited the local hospital in Pompei, Italy,
after Son was bitten by a dog;
the consultation and treatment (cleaning the wound
and subscribing ointment) were free (according
to the local practitioners there is no rabies
in the Pompei area and so far they are right).
Sonya had her ankle x-rayed
in Istanbul, Turkey; put in plaster (which later
needed to be removed) and had to pay 30 euro,
inclusive of the doctors advice (thanks to Seyfi
for bartering the price down for the plaster!!).
We then bought a set of crutches for 20 euro,
which we later donated.
In Osh, Kyrgyzstan, we saw the doctor, the x-ray
woman (who wanted a bribe, but didn't get one)
and went for more plaster (this time Sonya's wrist)
at the staggering cost of close to 3 euros...
In Agra, India, the hospitalisation of Sonya
(when she got attacked by a violent sciatica)
was free. Including all the x-rays (6) and time
of the specialists that attended her (also six).
The MRI scan (in a private clinic) set us back
€ 80. But the ambulance ride to and from
there was free...
We bought a lot of medicine
over the counter in several cities in India and
Nepal, mostly due to an upset stumach of Ali (giardia),
but everything can be obtained without prescription
and won't break the bank...
What we used so far and for what:
Tinidazole: against Giardia (Ali, Nepal)
Ciprofloxacine: antibiotic against diarrhea (both
of us from Iran to Colombia)
Mebendazole: against worms...
Ali visited the local hospital in La Pintada,
Colombia, after a fall. Consultation
of the doctor cost 19,900 Pesos, roughly €
7. They didn't have an x-ray machine (only available
on Saturday), so we couldn't find out if anything
was broken in his arm or not, but so far...
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