Friends Kingdom: Re: [iPad] OT: Goings On

I won't be doing Machu Picchu. About a week in Lima. Then two weeks in Iquitos, in the headwaters on the Amazon. I'm so very excited for the jungle. Google "Belen market" maybe goto YouTube. Crazy fun stuff. I get to eat just crazy crazy things. I'm excited. I'm also going to see what this Ayahuasca is all about. Well I kinda know. But I'm going to experience it. I'm really excited about the jungle. The bugs. The snakes. Pink Dolphins! Manatees!

KLM

A major concern for a "gringo" traveling to the equatorial jungle is infectious diseases.

While the Peruvian Amazon is an incredible place to visit, make sure you prepare well for your travel to Peru by packing efficiently and getting the recommended vaccinations.

Before you travel to Puerto Maldonado or other places in the Peruvian Amazon, visit a health care provider specializing in Travel Medicine who can tell you which vaccinations are recommended due to your health and vaccination history. It is best to see this physician 4-6 week prior to your travel to allow time for vaccinations to take effect. You should mention each country you are visiting on your trip in order to receive appropriate advice for all of your travel destinations.

While there are no required vaccinations for travel to Peru, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the following recommendations:

• Hepatitus A:Vaccination is recommended to all travelers to Peru.

• Hepatitus B: Vaccination recommended to all travelers to Peru, especially those who may have exposure to blood or body fluids through the giving or receiving of medical care, drug injections, tattooing, or sexual contact with the local population.

• Typhoid Fever: Vaccination is recommended to all travelers to tropical South America especially those who may be staying in rural areas where exposure through food or water could occur.

• Yellow Fever: Vaccination is highly recommended for travel to Amazonia and the Southern Amazon basin. The shot should be given at least 10 days before your arrival and at 10 year intervals if you decide to stay.

• Rabies: Vaccination is ONLY recommended to travelers with an increased risk of exposure including: long-term travelers living in an area that poses a high-risk of exposure, travelers working in occupations who will have direct contact with bats, stray dogs and cats, or other mammal such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals or researchers.