Jabs!
Gaaaa…I’m sitting in the surgery, waiting for a blood test. I have just handed over 50 quid for a rabies vaccination and my arm is still sore from yesterday’s jabs. The nurse had a glint in her eyes as she went through the list of tropical diseases; it is not something she often gets to do in Tadley.
“No, I really don’t think I need Japanese Encephalitis as well!.”
“But it occurs there.”
“Yeah, it’s common in tropical Asia, but when we were in Sri Lanka only six of the millions of people there—”
“I think it would be wise to be careful.”
“But it is very expens—”
That drew a stern look: “You can’t put a price on your health!”
Luckily, turns out I’m there outside the high-risk season. As I said; phew!
Well, the blood-letting was relatively painless. This busy surgery has its own visiting phlebotomist. I have never encountered one before and didn’t know what a ‘phlebotomist’ was. Having just mouthed off about being a scientist by profession, I blushed while she explained: “It comes from the Latin for blood; I only deal in blood.”
As I said: Quick and painless. Only the doctor’s to go for an antimalarial prescription and that’s that for now. My rabies vaccine is on order.
Tags: SE Asia, Tag Index
Denni