Doctors>Why do I need to take shots before going to Guatemala?

Question

I was told to take them 2 weeks before going there but i can only do it 2 days before now. Is it still gonna be effective or should i just forget about it?

Answer 1

nope you dont but some food ur stomach isnt use too the only bad thing youll get is bad pooping thats it and i have never taken any shots going there i go each year to vist my grandpapi!

Answer 2

So you don't get diseases. It's called immunity.

Answer 3

Be glad you aren't taking the quinine pills....I had to before going to Guatemala, and I really liked it there, BTW.

Answer 4

you don't need shots I've been going to Guatemala for years and never took shots. I'm still alive!!! their just trying to scare you. Enjoy your stay I'm sure you'll love it, its one of the best places ever i recommend going to Tikal its beautiful. well have fun and don't worry you'll be fine!

Answer 5

I cannot believe how far Doctors will go to get $$ out of you.

My family and I go there all the time, we were born there, but live in US. There is no reason to take a shot.

I suggest a shot of VENADO ESPECIAL once you are there (alcoholic drink)...That will wake you up!

Answer 6

I'm not a doctor but if I was you get the shots before you go there, cuz you want to be protected you never know what you could catch down there. It's better to be safe than sorry, and what ever you do don't DRINK THE WATER.

Answer 7

I have been to Guatemala 4 times now. The first two times I went with my university. They recommended we all get this series of shots just to air on the side of caution. The majority of us never did, but the main concern was for hepatitis because unfortunately we did have one student who contracted it. Malaria pills are not totally necessary, but if you are going to be spending more than a day in the Peten exploring ruins or whatever other activities you may have planned, there is a strong caution emphasized. The rest of Guatemala is virtually mosquito free, especially the highlands (Xela).

I don't believe the recommendations are all hype just to earn doctors more money. Guatemala is a somewhat developed country, but it does not necessarily hold the same standards of sanitation. With caution and common sense, being infected with the kinds of things these shots protect against is preventable, but the risk you take is still very high.

Answer 8

Get the shots now.  If you catch a disease you'll feel foolish for skipping them.

Answer 9

you dont need to get a shot..my dad is from there and moved here at 18 and when ever we go we dont need shots!! my teacher went there and she was born in america (she is white) and she did not need any shot!! dont get one..and + who told you you need one...they on crack!!and the first time i visited i did not need a shot or pill!! i was 2.

Answer 10

Let me tell you that all that is nothing but bullcrap. I hate how organizations want to scare you while traveling abroad. When I travelled to Guatemala for the first time they made me take malaria pills, though malaria was succesfully eliminated from the country some decades ago. Also they told me that I was gonna be stomach sick and blah blah. Did any of this happen? Of course not. Now I am in the paradise for the second time and I am living like a true Guatemalan without having to worry about all the S**t that they tell me in America.