In Reply to: drjulian...are you a real doctor :) posted by bagusdaze on Wednesday, 11. June 2008 at 11:45 Bali Time:
Hep A in young children is usually a relatively mild illness and hence immunisation for the purpose of a short term stay in reasonable accommodation has been regarded as probably unnecessary - but you ask a fair question. My kids have been immunised - but when they were older children. Hep A infection amongst adult tourists in SE Asia has been estimated at 1% per month. Hep B is contracted from blood/bodily fluids and is a lifestyle risk rather than a travel risk, hence low risk for kids but is part of the standard childhood immunisation schedule in Oz for their later protaction. Typhoid, as with hep A, is food/water borne, and though a lower risk, should be considered. What you should do depends on the risk (length of stay, places visited and type of accommodation and food, as well as age, pre-existing conditions and pregnancy) and what level of risk you're comfortable with. Malaria for example may represent a low risk, according to location, but is potentially fatal.
The above are my general opinions based on experience as a GP and many trips to Bali. I am not a travel medicine specialist. When my family goes to Bali, we usually go to out of the way areas and protect against all of the above. If we stayed only in the Kuta-Seminyak axis, we likely wouldn't.