Typhoid is a bacterial infection that is common in areas of the world which have poor hygiene levels, this means that food and water are at higher risk of contamination. Caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, there are close to 26 million registered new cases annually. Most instances of typhoid infection are recorded in Asia, South America and Africa and the typical symptoms include diarrhoea/constipation, lack of appetite, abdominal pain and may cause meningitis and intestinal perforation, potentially leading to death. Vaccination against typhoid fever is usually suggested when you travel to different parts of the world where such condition is a common thing.
The disease can be transmitted from human to human through ingesting contaminated food or water and by improper personal hygiene like lack of hand washing. The bacteria can be found in the faeces of infected individuals and usually 2 to 5% of those infected become long term carriers and excrete the bacteria in their faeces.
The incubation period is from 10 to 20 days and depends on various things like how large a dose of bacteria has been ingested. In cases of a very small infection, the bacterium may be eliminated early in the course of the disease with mild symptoms presenting. Typical Symptoms include:
If a severe infection is left untreated, the infection may progress to a level whereby you undergo multi-organ failure. If it is not treated on time, the death rate is somewhere 20% whereas with quick antibiotic treatment, this can be lessened to less than 1%.
Typhoid can be treated by taking antibiotics. Other treatment like rehydration is also important.
If you have been vaccinated against Typhoid, the chances are that you will not risk loss of life. The vaccination can be done in two ways. You can either have a single injection of Typhim or undergo a course of 3 tablets of Vivotif. The vaccination can also be combined with Hepatitis A for people who are over the age of 16. The vaccination alone is approved for people over the age of 2 and for the tablets; the patient must be over 6. A booster dose is recommended after 3 years for people who travel and are at constant risk of Typhoid.
Our Vaccine Prices are as follows:
| Vaccination | Price |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis A & Typhoid | £89.00 |
| Typhoid (injection Typhim Vi) | £42.00 |
| Typhoid (oral capsules - Vivotif) *price per course of 3 doses | £37.50 |
TyphimVi have the following ingredients
However, this type of vaccine does not contain:
The typhoid vaccine is a polysaccharide vaccine and children below 2 years do not have good immune response to this vaccine. Therefore, they are not effective.
The immunity from typhoid vaccine diminishes over this time span. Thus, if there is further risk of exposure due to travel, then a booster dose can help to increase the level of protection.
The inactivated vaccine is nearly 75% effective, however if you ingest the typhoid bacteria, it is likely you will still have some symptoms. As such, it is necessary that alongside vaccination, you should take the necessary precautions whilst eating food and drinking water and follow proper personal hygiene while travelling.
If you want to vaccinate your children for travel purposes, then this requires thorough assessment. Children need to complete routine immunizations of childhood through their normal schedule when required. Travelling at an earlier age requires accelerated schedules, however not all travel-related vaccines are not effective for infants. Please arrange to speak to our doctor during your appointment for vaccinating children for advice.
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