wooglethealien

N went to the doctor for a Hep A booster and while he was there asked about Vietnam. They told him he needed to cough up £45 for a Yellow Fever vaccine but sent him to some expensice private travel place for Rabies vaccine (makes no sense as Rabies is more widespread than Yellow Fever). Um, dudes, Yellow Fever only exists in AFrica and South America, and anywhere else only requires evidence of the vaccine if you have come from an affected country. N has never left Europe, unless you count the Asian bit of Turkey. So the GP practice is either incompetant or just trying to exploit his travel naivete to milk some cash. I got very angry, this comes off the back of a conversation with my Mum at the weekend about something my little sister (a damn medic) said which proves my point about doctors totally refusing to believe what a patient says vs what their bits of paper written by the drug company says (seriously, it seem to me that drug companies, pharmacists and nurses do all the actualy useful parts).

Thankfully they told him to come back 6-8 weeks before we go and didn't arm and wallet rape him on the spot - I have already found him a hopefully competent (and more affordable) travel clinic at the tropical disease hospital walkable from where he works.