350 is bullshit, I took a pill (in Korea) for much less than that.

So is that how much you value your life?

Up to you – that $aving ain’t gonan help you if your brain explodes.

the travel clinic in my hometown told me i didn’t need it, as did the travel vaccination clinic i went to in Korea. so i didn’t get it, and my head didn’t explode. i’d look online, or in guide books, or ask for a second opinion.

As much as japanese encephalitis is an extremely nasty deisease and can cause horriffic side effects. I don’t think the vaccine is comepletly neccassary. Well not in thailand anyways thats for sure. Everytime I’ve been there I’ve not been told to get the shot. Although as it will be wet season and you mentioned trekking in the jungle your are at an increased risk of coming into contact with the vectors, it is still unlikely you will contract it. However your always able to get a second doctors opinion while your still at home and in the end it is what makes you feel comfortable travelling with.
Oh and your brain doesn’t actually explode with japanese encephalitis.
anyways safe travels and enjoy thailand and asia, great part of the world.

I got the JEA vaccine, but then I end up in some of the strangest backwater locations that it is worth it. You can risk it, or don’t. But really think about where you are going to be. Jungle, backwater travel = potential problems.

Get ready to have fun with things like malaria, JEA, and a few others… oh and don’t forget the hook worms, those are really fun

As someone with somewhat of a medical backgroung (doc in training), I will tell you that unless you’re going to be traveling to rural areas (as in traipsing through forests, farms, etc) in the countries you mentioned, you won’t need the vaccine. If you’re going to be living in China or something like that, I would recommend it, but for a vacation limited mostly to touristed areas and major cities, it’s really one of your lesser concerns. At the top of your list should be gastroenteritis, so be sure to get Hep A.

go to the www.cdc.gov website and click on travel and then your destination and all recommended vaccinations will be cited. JEA is not a standard immunization needed for basic travel unless as redkat suggested you are venturing far off the beaten track. Also depends on teh time of year as well for I don’t think this particular ailment or the bug that carries it is something that is usually rampant yearround (I think it has a seasonal prevalence).

The only shots I’ve gotten have been Hep A, tetanus, typhoid, and in Peru a yellow fever because they required it for the jungle lodge I wanted to stay at.

I completely agree with hope! I also have a medical background and I believe that you should be more worried about the asia bird flu potentially being able to cross the species barrier and cause heamorragic fever within human, killing you from the inside out by your organs slowly bleeding out! Ok I didn’t mean to scare anyone I could just go on about infectious diseases for ever.

I also agree with redkat….be more worried about malaria and all different types of parasitic worms!

Hehehe Enjoy!