Recently, Will and I visited Passport Health to make sure our vaccinations were in order for an upcoming trip. We had assumed that all the shots we got for Peru two years ago would be sufficient but, as it turns out, some need to be repeated fairly often while others are good for life. Here is a list of common travel vaccinations for adults and how long they protect you from the CDC Website:

Japanese Encephalitis: Full duration of protection unknown. Neutralizing antibodies may persist at least 2 years after primary immunization.

Hepatitis A (HAV): Booster not recommended for adults and children who have completed the primary series (2 doses) according to the routine schedule.

Hepatitis B (HBV): Booster doses of vaccine are not recommended for adults and children who have completed the primary series (3 doses) according to the routine schedule.

Influenza: 1 annual dose (children 6 months to 9 years of age should receive 2 doses separated by at least 4 weeks the first time that influenza vaccine is administered). Live attenuated influenza vaccine is approved only for healthy non-pregnant persons 5 through 49 years of age (2).

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 4 weeks or other evidence of immunity (such as serologic testing) is recommended for persons born after 1956 who travel outside the United States (3). Re-vaccination is not recommended.

Meningococcal Quadrivalent A,C,Y, W-135: Re-vaccination after 5 years is recommended for persons who received meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine and who remain at increased risk for meningococcal disease (including some international travelers). Re-vaccination is not recommended after receipt of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (4).

Pneumococcal (polysaccharide): One-time re-vaccination 5 years after original dose for persons with certain underlying medical conditions (such as asplenia), or persons who were first vaccinated at younger than 65 years of age.

Rotavirus: No booster dose recommended. Maximum age for any dose of rotavirus vaccine is 32 weeks.

Polio (IPV): A single lifetime booster dose is recommended for adults who have written documentation of having completed a primary series.

Rabies: Preexposure vaccine No serologic testing or boosters recommended for travelers. For persons in higher risk groups, such as rabies laboratory workers, serologic testing and booster doses are recommended.

Tetanus/diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap): Tetanus and diphtheria booster dose is recommended every 10 years. A single dose of adolescent/adult formulation Td that includes acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) is recommended to replace one Td booster dose for persons 11-64 years of age.

Typhoid Oral: Repeat series every 5 years.

Typhoid IM: Booster dose every 2 years.

Varicella: Re-vaccination is not recommended.

Yellow Fever: Repeat vaccination every 10 years.

Of course, you should always check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about vaccinations, especially if you have other health issues or are travelling with a child. You can also find more information about what shots are recommended for the area you intend to travel on the CDC travel website or by visiting a travel doctor or Passport Health location near you.

Date: June 2009

Price from New York to Boston: $358/person including taxes. This is $140 more than a regular seat on the Acela, but after taking this trip for years and dreading it, I decided to find out if it was worth it.

Check-in: Check-in is a breeze at an Amtrak kiosk. Just scan the bar code on a printout of your confirmation e-mail and your tickets pop out. You can also go to an agent if necessary. With the First Class ticket, you have access to the Club Acela lounges located in both places. I didn’t arrive early enough at the stations to take advantage of this so I can’t rate the lounges. When I boarded in Boston, it seemed that the other first class passengers were already on the train so I believe an agent brought them directly from the lounge before the other passengers were allowed to board.

Train: The train was worn, but the seats seemed newer and clean. They were all leather, big and comfortable. There were single, double and quad seat configurations. Not all of the tray tables worked properly and some seats reclined more than others so I had to test a couple before I found one I liked. Overall, I liked the setup and felt it allowed for a decent amount of privacy and peace. The bathroom was standard, but clean and less crowded since it was reserved for the First Class car. Although the car wasn’t empty on either trip, unlike the main part of the train it wasn’t packed full so I felt I had room to spread out and a good choice of seats both ways.

Service: Amtrak is not known for being on time and, in fact, I arrived in Boston an hour and a half late on my departure. Luckily, I planned for this and took an earlier train. There are one or two attendants assigned to the First Class car that provide at seat drink and meal service during the ride. At boarding, you are immediately offered a drink and a menu with a limited selection of food items. I found the lunch service more complete and better than breakfast. The food itself was not quite as good as what you would be served on a first class flight, but it wasn’t bad. For the remainder of the ride, the attendants came down the aisle frequently to offer more drinks and bottled water to the passengers.

Verdict: I really enjoyed the Acela First Class car. Was it amazing? No, but it definitely made the trip more comfortable and it felt faster. I absolutely think it was worth the extra money and I would do it again on my next visit to Boston.

Grade: B-

Remember my post on the Clear travel program which offered “faster” security lanes to members at select airports for an annual fee? Turns out they’ve gone bankrupt and ceased all operations as of June 22nd. Honestly, I never thought it was a good deal. In all my travels, I think I saw Clear lanes at two airports I went through and the lines never looked faster. Unfortunately, there will be no refunds.

Clear

Last week I received an e-mail from Orbitz asking me to sign a petition they are preparing for President Obama requesting he lift the ban on travel to Cuba. A couple of months ago, he did make it legal for Americans with family members in the country to visit and many people feel the next step is to allow all U.S. citizens the same freedom. It seems to me that isolation only fosters misunderstanding and ignorance so I tend to agree. Personally, I would love to visit Cuba and I feel confident I will some day. If you would like to learn more about the Orbitz petition and/or sign it, check it out at opencuba.org.

Well, not exactly…that would be pretty dangerous, but at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, Australia you can get up close and personal with one from behind protective glass. You enter the Cage of Death and are submerged in the crocodile tank for 15 minutes where you can observe “Choppa” from an otherwise impossible perspective. Tickets are timed and should be reserved in advance. Although there is no price listed for the experience on the aquarium’s website, from what I could find online it costs roughly $120/person or $160/two people including regular admission.

Crocosaurus Cove

For years I’ve dreamed of owning a map of the world that I could hang on my wall and mark off the places I’ve visited with pins. I looked at many but they were always too small, not detailed enough or too expensive. Lucky for me, Will found exactly what I wanted and gifted it to me for my birthday this year! It’s laminated onto foam backing and has wooden frames on the top and bottom. It even has my name printed on it! It was difficult for me to take a good picture of it because, at 54×34 inches, it’s huge but I think you get the idea and can see at least some of my pins. Looking at it brings back so many great memories of all the places I’ve been and reminds me that there are so many more I have yet to visit!

You can get this map and a wide variety of others at The Map Shop.

After September 11th, the Statue of Liberty was completely closed off due to security concerns. In the summer of 2004, the pedestal was opened to a limited number of visitors daily but the rest of the monument remained off limits. Safety is always the top priority, but the closure made me sad remembering how exciting it was climbing the icon during my first visit to NYC in the early 90s. It was always THE thing for tourists to do in the city.

I was thrilled when I heard that the crown is set to re-open on July 4, 2009. Only 200 people will be allowed in per day and advance reservations will be required but once again people will be able to look out on New York from the top of its most famous landmark!

Statue Cruises

Here’s another cool product for camping or nights outside during the summer. The Bug Off! Insect Repelling Wristband is a non-toxic bracelet infused with insect repelling oils. Just slip one on your wrist or ankle to keep biting bugs away. It’s safe around kids and pets because it is DEET free and it can be used for up to 180 hours. Best of all, there are no messy, smelly sprays or lotions to apply to your skin.

$3.29 Amazon

*Word of caution – I’m not sure I would rely on this in an area known for bug borne diseases. I always check with a travel doctor and follow his/her instructions when travelling to such places.