Health and Safety

There are no required immunizations for travel to Nicaragua, but we highly recommend the following health precautions suggested by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Your local Health Department, travel clinic, or your own physician should be able to tell you where these vaccines may be obtained. The following information may not be complete; please consult your doctor for the most recent information.

Tetanus: full series (DPT or Td) with a booster within the past 10 years.

Polio: full series for polio prevention. Normally, a full series is completed by entry into kindergarten or first grade. For previously un‑immunized adults, inactivated polio vaccine (IVP) is recommended. If immunization records cannot be found, one booster of oral polio vaccine is sufficient.

Malaria Preventative: pills containing chloroquine phosphate, such as Aralen (ask your doctor about long term side effects). Mosquitos transmitting malaria tend to bite between dusk and dawn. Precautions include: remaining in screened areas if possible, wearing light‑colored clothing that covers most of the body and avoiding the use of scented toiletries during these times, using a repellent containing DEET and mosquito nets.

Hepatitis A: this common disease in the U.S. and Latin America is passed in a fecal‑oral route. Protection can be achieved by administration of Human Immune Serum Globulin 2ml. (Gamma Globulin), immediately before travel. This shot usually lasts for 3 months. There is also a vaccine. For long term volunteers, we suggest looking into completing this series of shots administered during six months.

Hepatitis B: there is now a vaccination for Hepatitis B. Please consult your doctor.

Yellow Fever: the immunization requires one injection and protects for 10 years. A Certificate of Vaccination is required if you are arriving in Nicaragua from areas infected with Yellow Fever. 

Typhoid: the immunization consists of a series of four capsules of live, attenuated oral vaccine given on days 1, 3, 5, 7. The vaccine is most effective if the entire series is completed and the protection should last five years. This oral vaccine is more frequently used than the previous immunization therapy which consists of two intramuscular injections given one month apart.

Rabies vaccine: the pre‑exposure vaccine series (3 doses) is recommended primarily for persons who will be working with animals.

II. ILLNESS PREVENTION/PRECAUTIONS

Cholera: a diarrheal disease which is easily transmitted in areas with poor water supplies and unsanitary conditions. Cholera has spread through several Latin American countries causing numerous deaths particularly among children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Cholera is present in the department of Leon, mostly in the rural areas. The vaccine currently available does not help in controlling cholera because it is not sufficiently effective: it immunizes only 50% of those vaccinated. Vaccination gives a false sense of security to those vaccinated, possibly causing one to neglect more effective precautionary measures such as being careful what you eat and drink, not walking barefoot, following strict rules of cleanliness.

Dengue Fever: a mosquito‑transmitted viral disease. There is no vaccine against dengue. The only way to prevent it is by following insect precautions. Mosquitos transmitting dengue may bite anytime of the day or night..

Diarrhea: follow food and water precautions at all times, especially when traveling to rural areas. Precautions include: drinking beverages made from boiled or purified water, canned or bottled beverages, chlorinating water if unsure of its purity; avoiding ice cubes; selecting well‑cooked foods served piping hot and avoiding salads, dairy products made with unpasteurized milk and food cooked at roadside stands. Personal hygiene suggestions as described below are very important.

Medication for prevention and relief of diarrhea (Pepto‑Bismol, Kaopectate, etc.) should be carried at all times as well as an antibiotic for emergency self‑treatment of acute diarrhea. Consulting your physician on this is advised. It is also recommended that you carry toilet paper with you when travelling to rural areas or taking long bus trips.

For mild diarrhea, stick to a light diet with lots of clear liquids to replace lost fluid. There are many herb teas which are thought to aid in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery: raspberry, comfrey, peppermint, ginger root, chamomile. You may wish to bring some along just in case. Some believe that eating yogurt daily for 1 to 2 weeks before leaving is helpful as well as taking acidophilus capsules (the kind that do not need refrigeration).

Prescription Medication: Delegates and volunteers should bring sufficient quantities of any prescribed medication they may need while in Nicaragua. Some medications are not available. For customs purposes, medication must be clearly labeled and in original container.

Glasses: The sun is very strong in Nicaragua and sunglasses are recommended.

For contact lens wearers, it is very dusty in Nicaragua from November to April. This may cause discomfort with your contacts. Please bring prescription glasses with you in case you cannot wear contacts.

If you wear prescription glasses, bring an extra pair in case you lose or break your primary pair.