Thread: Children and health (Roy?)

I have read a few of the forum members have children.
I am searching for some 'insiders' advise towards health precautions for my two anak Indo.
I wondered which vaccinations are given to babies/toddlers in the BKIA /posyandu in Bali.
The health adviser at the Travel clinic in Holland gave me a list of 'needed' vaccinations that I personally doubt.
I am specially interested if they get vaccination against Typhoid, Rabies and Hep. A and B. in the standard vaccination program in Indonesia.

I know better be safe than sorry, but I know that towards vaccinations for tropical destinations they can also be to enthousiastic sometimes.

I'm from Holland and had to get Hep. A and B, stomach typus and DTP (dyfterie, tyfus and Polio) They also wanted me to get rabies, but I refused because I can go to a hospital when I'm in Bali. after a while I will know the hospitals near my house. And also Jepanese encifilitus (or something like that) but that's a really rare disease and therefore I didn't take it....But hmm, I guess you already know what they wanted you to get in Holland, so I'm not sure if this contributes anything, sorry!

Our kids got all the standard vaccinations that are common in the West, and a couple that aren't common...small pox, polio, hepatites, typhoid, etc. etc., but not rabies. Rabies is very rare in Bali anyway. Travel health doctors often suggest malaria vacinations too, but again, in Bali, malaria is rare.

For certain, don't take them to any of the Monkey Forests. A bite from one of those macaques can be very, very serious, and they are very aggressive.

Thanks for the replies.
Do you know if your children were vaccinated against hepatitus A and B, Roy? They told me that hepatitus A isn't given to kids under five/six years of age, because if they get infected it is an innocent children disease. And that Typhoid, is that also repeated every three years?
My small cousin in Medan got Typhoid last month and was in hospital a few days with very high fever, so I assumped that Typhoid vaccination isn't given in the 'normal'vaccination program in Indonesia.

When are you leaving for Bali Margriet? By the way didn't the health service also advise you to vaccinate against TBC?

I also don't vaccinate against Rabies and J.E., but they stressed me to take Rabies for my kids as they have higher risk and specially the youngest one might not be telling us if some animal licks or bite him. Well, I better teach them not to cuddle animals that don't belong to our own 'family tribe'!

We plan to leave Holland around August but before we go to Bali we will first visit family and friends in Sumatra and Java.

Iris

Iris, I have to admit to a certain amount of embarrassment in not being able to answer your question relating to Hep A or B. Personally, and this is only my own “thing” I believe very much that young children acquire from their mother’s milk, many of the antibodies needed to fight off common diseases.

My boys’ mom is Balinese. She is very healthy, and she breast fed all of our three boys for at least three months before we switched to formulas. Our boys are VERY healthy, but of course prone to minor bouts of fever, sickness from time to time like any kid anywhere in the world.

All my boys are insured through a very good medical plan, including emergency med-vac to our hospital of choice, which is Bumrungrad in Bangkok. Each of my three boys has a file already set up at the pediatric center at Bumrungrad, with all medical details, including of course, their immunizations, blood type, and things like that.

I have no argument with any parent that believes that their responsibility is to the health and welfare of their children. What parent would argue with that? On the other hand, there is a need to balance this concern, and only the parents can determine the point of balance. Shooting up these wee ones with immunizations that are very remotely of use, is in my mind unnecessary and possibly subjecting them to side effects.

But, this is just me…and my thoughts. The fact is, in Bali, I worry far more about motor accidents, a snake bite, or other things way beyond disease. But….that’s just me.

oh ja, I also got the TBC vaccination....haha, I already forgot that, but when I was typing the message I was having the feeling that I forgot something...

Im coming to Indonesia at 8 July, but in Bali a few days later because we will visit family first

Iris Maddison was given Hep B immunisations for free (there is usually a charge in OZ) with her child hood immunisations that are required for schooling etc. But as she is mixed culture from Asian Father I was informed she was of a higher risk category & so she received her Hep B shots for free where as my sisters kids would have had t pay for this, also in certain areas & susburbs the area is higher risk & so babies born there are given Hep B, about 2-3 yrs ago we were advised to get Hep A & so Maddy & I have had that too, I have never worried about Typhoid or Rabies or malaria, I had major hallucinations my first trip to Bali years ago from these meds & so stopped & have not taken these since...
Good Luck..

I fully agree with your vision Roy. I breastfeeded my oldest one(now 4 years) 1,5 years. My son was an other story..... after 6 months I was worn out... (he is really really a big boy 4,5 kilo's at birth).
Lisa my daugter has been twice in Indonesia and she wasn't given any extra vaccinations back then. Now, since we said we are going to live there and they heared the S. word (Sumatra) all books are opened and we got all these advises. Anyway I have already decided based on the information I read and heard what we will decide in this matter.

And you are so right about the fear of traffic! But there will always be dangers... now we live on a houseboat, everybody keeps on watching the little ones in the neighbourhood if they don't come to close to the water.
My mother-in-law pointed out an other fear... kidnapping of children. I was stunned when I heared that this actually really happens in Indonesia.
She warned me not to let my children play alone outside without an familymember or trusted adult watching over them. But maybe this is more a big city problem.

I think these are all the 'normal' parent/grandparent fears.
Thanks again all for you posts on my question.

Iris

Iris, Everyone is over protective of their own children....
My parents live in a unit behind our house & when Maddy has sleep overs I miss her terrible she is only a 1 minute walk out my back door, but I still worry that she is OK, as I am not there...
It is natural noone ever wants anything to happen to their child/ren!!!

You will no doubt make the best choices for your children, best of luck with your move!

Roy,

I am very interested in learning more about the insurance plan you have as we are planning to move to Bali in a few years and are trying to figure out how much insurance will cost us. Your plan sounds great. So what company is it through? Which agent do you use? If something major happened (illness or disability) you would be evac to Bumrungrad you said but how about if you needed continuing treatment afterwards for the illness - would they cover you getting treatment outside bali eg in europe or usa or in bangkok? The medevac policies I found online just sort of deal with emergencies but not the treatment afterwards...
How much do you pay for your family a year for this insurance? Do you pay more for each child? What is the deductible?
Sorry for the mutliple questions but I have never been able to find out about a plan like this before - most of my friends in bali just have medevac with nothing to cover them in bali or no insurance at all.
I think you must be Roy- Matt Wyatt's friend- we were friends of him and Desak in the Bay Area - we miss him. Say hi to Desak and the kids from me. I often think about Matt's situation at the end and the misdiagnosis in the hospital in Bali originally and so I think you are very wise in getting the best insurance you can.
Annette
Terima kasih!