Traveling to PH, Vaccinations

[Steve & Erma 36]

I am traveling to Libagon, Southern Leyte in the Philippines in September. Besides having my COVID vaccination what other vaccinations do I really need? The CDC site seems to think I need a lot of them and to me it seems like over kill. Anyone who has traveled to PH before that can give me some guidance on what I really need?

 

Here is the link to the CDC - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/philippines

 

As always thank you for any help given.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

1 hour ago, Steve & Erma said:

I am traveling to Libagon, Southern Leyte in the Philippines in September. Besides having my COVID vaccination what other vaccinations do I really need? The CDC site seems to think I need a lot of them and to me it seems like over kill. Anyone who has traveled to PH before that can give me some guidance on what I really need?

 

Here is the link to the CDC - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/philippines

 

As always thank you for any help given.

Just make sure your tetanus shot is up to date that is it

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

1 hour ago, Steve & Erma said:

I am traveling to Libagon, Southern Leyte in the Philippines in September. Besides having my COVID vaccination what other vaccinations do I really need? The CDC site seems to think I need a lot of them and to me it seems like over kill. Anyone who has traveled to PH before that can give me some guidance on what I really need?

 

Here is the link to the CDC - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/philippines

 

As always thank you for any help given.

All of those vaccines are just recommended vaccines.  For entering PH, you need to follow their Covid requirments.  Philippine Airlines website is a good source for that.  I think the current is fully vaccinated has quarantine, fully vaccinated + booster has no quarantine.  And you have to sign up for an online medical pass of some sort.

[top_secret 2,417]

Hardly a requirement, but Hep A is known to be foodborne and waterborne in the Philippines.   Hep B vaccine might warrant consideration for some there as well.

[Steve & Erma 36]

25 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

Just make sure your tetanus shot is up to date that is it

Tetanus was done in 2020 and is good for 10 years so I am good there.

 

26 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

All of those vaccines are just recommended vaccines.  For entering PH, you need to follow their Covid requirments.  Philippine Airlines website is a good source for that.  I think the current is fully vaccinated has quarantine, fully vaccinated + booster has no quarantine.  And you have to sign up for an online medical pass of some sort.

I am vaccinated and boosted so that is good to know.

 

"The following international travelers bound to the Philippines are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine and exempted from presenting pre-departure COVID-19 negative test result (RT-PCR/Antigen Test) (as per IATF Resolution No. 168 (Effective May 30, 2022)):

1. Fully vaccinated* Foreign/Filipino nationals with Booster shot** for 18 years old and above."

 

Am I reading this right that I DO NOT need a negative test to enter the Philippines?

 

I am flying through South Korea, how does that work for a negative test?

[Steve & Erma 36]

3 minutes ago, top_secret said:

Hardly a requirement, but Hep A is known to be foodborne and waterborne in the Philippines.   Hep B vaccine might warrant consideration for some there as well.

I got Hep A when I was a kid from a nasty burger. My fiance says I don't need any of them...lol

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

49 minutes ago, Steve & Erma said:

 

I am flying through South Korea, how does that work for a negative test?

I think you need to do some research.  Check with your airline.

[MarJhi 959]

I went there in 2019 and again in 2020. All of those vaccinations were recommended, not required (at least when I went). Nobody asked me for proof of immunizations/vaccines when I went.

 

Be smart, be care what/where you eat.

 

Drink bottled water. At one restaurant they brough a glass of ice water and my fiance told me not to drink it as it was probably tap water and not safe for a foreigner. She had them bring me a cold can of soda instead because they had no bottled water.

 

Resist the urge to pet the stray dogs/cats that roam everywhere even if they seem friendly. 

 

Covid vaccines are required at the moment though, so that is a different story.

[Palawan 131]

11 hours ago, Steve & Erma said:

I am traveling to Libagon, Southern Leyte in the Philippines in September. Besides having my COVID vaccination what other vaccinations do I really need? The CDC site seems to think I need a lot of them and to me it seems like over kill. Anyone who has traveled to PH before that can give me some guidance on what I really need?

 

Here is the link to the CDC - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/philippines

 

As always thank you for any help given.

As soon as you get to Philippines go to Pharmacy and get some Lomitol for diaherra, it's over the counter there.  Good chance you will get some bad or spoiled food and get food poisoning.   I was in NAIA (Manila Airport) Terminal 3 and purchase a chicken/rice dish from a vendor inside the airport and it was bad had food poison for 2 days.  Vendors will re use food day after day. 

[MarJhi 959]

54 minutes ago, Palawan said:

As soon as you get to Philippines go to Pharmacy and get some Lomitol for diaherra, it's over the counter there.  Good chance you will get some bad or spoiled food and get food poisoning.   I was in NAIA (Manila Airport) Terminal 3 and purchase a chicken/rice dish from a vendor inside the airport and it was bad had food poison for 2 days.  Vendors will re use food day after day. 

Luckily for me in both my trips to the Philippines I had no issues, but then again I was very careful where I ate.

 

Yeah in the Philippines if you come to a restaurant first thing when they open you might be eating food left over from the previous day. The idea of tossing out food is not a thing there. I stayed away from street food, I am not the adventurous type😁

[flicks1998 1,044]

11 hours ago, Steve & Erma said:

Tetanus was done in 2020 and is good for 10 years so I am good there.

 

I am vaccinated and boosted so that is good to know.

 

"The following international travelers bound to the Philippines are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine and exempted from presenting pre-departure COVID-19 negative test result (RT-PCR/Antigen Test) (as per IATF Resolution No. 168 (Effective May 30, 2022)):

1. Fully vaccinated* Foreign/Filipino nationals with Booster shot** for 18 years old and above."

 

Am I reading this right that I DO NOT need a negative test to enter the Philippines?

 

I am flying through South Korea, how does that work for a negative test?

The main thing to be aware of while in the Philippines is Dengue.  There is nothing you can take to prevent it or much you can do once you get it, but Dengue is everywhere in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia in general.  Many people coming from the US or Europe dont think about it or know much about it, but it is a real problem.  I have known so many people who have come down with it over the years.  My son had a mild case of it 4-5 years ago, but many of my local and foreign friends and family have had it as well.  The worst case I know about is a friend who was in the hospital for 6 months.

 

Mosquitos that carry dengue are normally found during the day and many times just after dawn or before dusk.  That is not all inclusive, as some can be found at night, etc but the majority are around during daylight.  Southern Leyte does not have patches of dengue as Im familiar with that area.  Try to avoid areas around homes, etc that have standing water (water in pots or containers) around the house.  Some countries, such as Singapore fine people 500 SGD if they have standing water around their homes as its a breeding ground for these types of mosquitos.

 

Other than just being aware that it exists, I wouldnt worry about it too much.  Ive spent decades in the provinces of Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, etc and never had it myself, however I do consider myself to have been lucky. 

[AppalachianBiker 5]

36 minutes ago, MarJhi said:

Luckily for me in both my trips to the Philippines I had no issues, but then again I was very careful where I ate.

 

Yeah in the Philippines if you come to a restaurant first thing when they open you might be eating food left over from the previous day. The idea of tossing out food is not a thing there. I stayed away from street food, I am not the adventurous type😁

I had no issues there and I ate some questionable food items but stayed away from drinking public sources water. If you're going to drink from a public water system buy a filter. From experience, there can be higher levels of lead in the water, at least in Davao City. 

Edited July 28, 2022 by AppalachianBiker

[RO_AH 1,659]

5 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

The main thing to be aware of while in the Philippines is Dengue.  There is nothing you can take to prevent it or much you can do once you get it, but Dengue is everywhere in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia in general.  Many people coming from the US or Europe dont think about it or know much about it, but it is a real problem.  I have known so many people who have come down with it over the years.  My son had a mild case of it 4-5 years ago, but many of my local and foreign friends and family have had it as well.  The worst case I know about is a friend who was in the hospital for 6 months.

 

Mosquitos that carry dengue are normally found during the day and many times just after dawn or before dusk.  That is not all inclusive, as some can be found at night, etc but the majority are around during daylight.  Southern Leyte does not have patches of dengue as Im familiar with that area.  Try to avoid areas around homes, etc that have standing water (water in pots or containers) around the house.  Some countries, such as Singapore fine people 500 SGD if they have standing water around their homes as its a breeding ground for these types of mosquitos.

 

Other than just being aware that it exists, I wouldnt worry about it too much.  Ive spent decades in the provinces of Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, etc and never had it myself, however I do consider myself to have been lucky. 

This is why I had a bug zapper in my house. But only helps when you are in the house.

[top_secret 2,417]

6 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

The main thing to be aware of while in the Philippines is Dengue.

 

My wife got Dengue in May 2020, which coincided nicely with the national hysteria about people with fevers.🙄  It was nothing nice at all.  She spent a week in the hospital over that one.  Per her blood test, she had it before, probably as a child, but she doesn't remember.  That only makes Dengue worse the second time around.  Most tourists are probably more or less ok in the city.  Sleeping in a closed, airconditioned hotel.  Adventurous types running around the provinces should definitely consider some mosquito repellent.  If sleeping somewhere out in the boondocks with the windows open,.... mossy nets are very romantic.  Like a princess bed.😍

[Palawan 131]

23 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

The main thing to be aware of while in the Philippines is Dengue.

I saw lots of infants with Dengue while I was there, they were in the hospital.

 

My buddy got Dengue once, he said it was a bad thing do deal with.