I actually started the process of getting immunizations for my trip to Sri Lanka about a month ago, but I didn't get a chance to write about it. I think this information might be useful, however, for anyone who might pick up on the series of Sri Lanka posts I'm getting ready to write, so I'll outline what was involved with the immunizations here.

I was able to find a really cool place to get my immunizations called Passport Health. You may find a link to a similar service somewhere on this page. Passport Health deals exclusively with health issues for travelers, and in addition to being able to advise on and provide the needed immunizations for any given part of the world, they are a great one-stop-shop for all the other stuff like DEET based mosquito repellant, cipro and electrolyte replacement stuff, travel accessories, etc. Vince is one of the Travel Health Specialists over at the Columbia, MD office and he is very cool to deal with. He's quite handy with a syringe too, administering almost painless injections.

So for a trip to Sri Lanka, I received the following immunizations:
1. Japanese Encephalitis (3)
2. Measles, Mumps, & Rubella
3. Influenza
4. Polio
5. Tetanus Diptheria
6. Typhoid
7. Hepatitus A & B (3)

The Hepatitus A & B shots can be administered separately, but I opted to go with a combined shot called Twinrix. Twinrix is more expensive, but there are fewer total shots involved (three total). I just returned from my first booster shots yesterday for the Japanese Encephalitis and Twinrix. I actually had to start the JE over again because I missed the scheduled appointment for my first booster, which was a costly mistake (the JE shots are $130 a pop). So there are a total of three JE shots and three Twinrix shots. The last Twinrix shot isn't due for something like six months, which is obviously well after my trip, but if I go ahead and get it I'm good to go on Hepatitis A & B for the rest of my life. I won't go back for the last JE shot in the series to make up for the long period of time since my first one because I'll be gone already, but since I had the one about a month ago, one yesterday, and one next week, I should be pretty safe. Japanese Encephalitis occurs mainly in rural and wooded areas in Southeast Asia and although I will be working on home construction in some partially wooded areas, I should have a pretty good resistance built up.

So that's about it with the immunizations. When all's said and done will have cost me a little over $1,000, but some of that stuff I should have had anyway.