IMMUNIZATIONS

Hello to all of you Guasmo workers-to-be,

The trip to Ecuador is approaching faster than you know. I hope you are as excited about it as I am! Now that you are booking flights and making travel plans, be sure to consider some other preparations...

Do you cherish those sweet memories of getting gamma-globulin shots at zone conference, taking "the bomb" and tasting metal for months, or sleeping under cozy mosquito nets while being cooled by filthy fans? Do you find yourself longing for boiled water filtered through your old handkerchief or even giving up on water completely and risking kidney stones by drinking a couple of "familiar" sized colas (in a bag) each day? Was there any particular reason why the Hermana wouldn't let you pour that delicious looking bagged milk onto your cereal, eat those inviting strawberries, make a "healthy" salad out of lettuce grown in night soil, or break your fast on some of that tripe from a friendly street vendor?

Beautiful Ecuador has left a lasting impression on our hearts and minds, but we need to remember that it has the potential to leave a lasting impression on our G.I. tract and overall health if we aren't prepared. A few key points to consider:

IMMUNIZATIONS: Be sure each person going to Ecuador is completely up to date on all of the usual recommended vaccines for the USA, paying special attention to TdaP (tetanus and pertussis) and the series of Hepatitis A (the reason we were getting gamma-globulin shots back in the day). Yellow Fever and Typhoid are also recommended by the CDC. Please visit the CDC website on Ecuador http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/Ecuador.aspx and read it in detail, especially the parts on timing of vaccines. Discuss these with your doctor. Some need to be given well before the day you fly!

MALARIA: Although malaria is not present in the cities of Guayaquil, Quito, or the Galápagos, all other areas at altitudes <1,500 m (<4,921 ft) are teaming with chloroquine-resistant malaria. Depending on your travel plans after the service days, you may need to start anti-malarial drugs before, during, and after your trip. Check the CDC website above and contact your doctor for a prescription if you need it.

BUCHANAN'S TAP WATER DIET: take a moment to remember Hermana Gonzalez's words of wisdom and to discuss simple health precautions with family members or friends travelling to South America for the first time. Don't forget to pack things like a hat, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant. If you really want to relive the missionary experience, some of you may plan on hitting a tienda in Guayaquil for some Chinese chalk for those pesky ants or a candle and a Torvi sprayer used as a flamethrower for invading cockroaches. The CDC website also recommends taking a small stash of an over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication such as Immodium as well as all of your usual prescription medication.

With a few precautions, we should all stay healthy and have a fantastic trip back to our old stompin' grounds in Ecuador.

Feel free to discuss any of your questions with your personal physician or to contact me at mitchell.moffitt@gmail.com.

Mitch (Moffitt)