Vaccinations Ghana | My personal advice
I understand that vaccinations for Ghana are not fun and expensive
Although there is a lot of information about vaccines for Ghana and malaria prophylaxis, most guests still ask my advice. I think this is because I understand that vaccinations are a necessary evil when you want to come to Ghana. Some vaccinations are quite expensive, as are the malaria tablets. And fair is fair; getting vaccinations is really not fun and sometimes quite painful.
At the time when I had to go to the Dutch Municipal Health Services before leaving for Ghana it always seemed as if the nurse was keen to ‘sell’ all possible vaccinations. It has changed a bit, fortunately, and now this happens less and one looks at the personal situation quite a bit. The idea of the more pricking the better seems to fade away!
As a Ghana expert I would like to help you prepare for your Ghana adventure
I have bundled my 20 years of Ghana knowledge and experience and created a valuable workbook that will help you prepare your Ghana! You can learn and enjoy from the mistakes I’ve made, from my blunders. I provide information about the practical preparation such as visa applications, what do you bring and do not bring to Ghana and what vaccinations do you need. I’ll tell you about food in Ghana and about equality.
Vaccinations for Ghana, the facts and my opinion
I’m going to talk about the possible vaccinations for Ghana in this paragraph. For example, you can read more about what the various diseases when you Google. I tell you what the Dutch Municipal Health Services advises and I give my opinion on the advice. Please note that every person is different and if, for example, you belong to risk groups, I strongly advise you to follow the advice of the general practitioner or the Municipal Health Services. My opinion is subjective. If you want to discuss with me about your personal situation and vaccinations for Ghana, you can!
- Yellow fever vaccine – This is mandatory, if you do not have a ‘yellow booklet’ containing the yellow fever vaccination then you will not get a visa. Yellow fever is a nasty disease that is spread by a mosquito species. It hardly happens in Ghana anymore and the government and the Ghana health service want to keep it that way.
- DTP (Diphtheria, tetanus and polio) – This vaccine is recommended by the GGD and I recommend it as well. When you hurt yourself in Ghana, for example by a fall, and there is a wound that needs the attention of a nurse or doctor. Then they give by default the tetanus prick, which is given here in 2 times. An accident is in a small corner and I think it is nice when you do not need the tetanus jab after a possible accident in Ghana.
- Hepatites A – The vaccine against infectious jaundice is recommended by the GGD and I agree with that as well. The virus is mainly spread by contaminated food and drink and there is actually no drug for it. Vaccination against hepatites A is recommended for many countries.
- Hepatites B – Hepatites B is transmitted through blood and through sexual contact. Hepatites B is present in Ghana. The advice of the GGD depends on the purpose of your trip and the length of stay. I certainly agree with this.
- TB – You can get vaccinated against tuberculosis, it is usually recommended when you travel for more than 3 months and are often going to be in institutions where the risk of infections is higher, such as hospitals. You can also get tested when you return to the Netherlands. The latter is my advice.
- Meningitis – This vaccination is especially recommended for Ghana when you are travelling in the dry season and are in close contact with the locals. Meningitis is slightly more common in northern Ghana than in the rest of the country. If you are travelling in the dry season, approximately from the end of November to March and you are going to work at a school, for example, Then I recommend you take this vaccination.
- Rabies – Rabies is scary and in most cases deadly. The vaccination in the Netherlands consists of several vaccinations and if you are bitten in Ghana by an animal with rabies then you need another 2 vaccinations, which you need to get within 48 hours. I’ve never seen a rabid dog in Ghana, but of course they are. The rabies vaccine is available in Ghana, but there is an urgent need for treatment. A little more urgency if you have not taken the vaccinations in the Netherlands. I myself have not been vaccinated against rabies. I found an article from the AD containing 2 experience stories, click here to read the article.
- BMR – The vaccine against mumps, measles and rubine dog is sometimes recommended. In this advice one looks at the diseases you had in the past and personal risk factors. Normally, I would not recommend this vaccination.
What about anti malaria tablets?
Ghana is malaria area and normally taking malaria prophylaxis is the advice. But there are certainly reasons why you wouldn’t want to take the tablets. The side effects can be quite severe. When you come for a long time you may not want to take all that time medication. In addition, anti malaria tablets are costly.
I don’t take medication to prevent malaria and have had it countless times. Want to read more about me and malaria? I wrote a blog about malaria for Moon&Star guesthouse.
Vaccinations Ghana and malaria prevention | Ghana coach advice
As you may know, I’d love to help you on your way to Ghana. I do this by sharing a lot of information online on the website and in my blogs. Would you like my personal advice on your trip to Ghana, vaccinations Ghana, malaria prevention and would you like to know how I can help you? Feel free to make a non-committal appointment for an online conversation!
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