Vaccinations for Liberia (many)

We’ve known since the beginning of the preparations for the Liberia Mission Trip that we would have to be vaccinated for a number of illnesses that we have overcome here in the States. Diseases like Malaria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Polio, Hepatitis B, Tetanus-diphtheria, Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and Yellow Fever are still rampant in the parts of Africa we will be traveling to. These diseases have never even entered my mind here in the US; I’ve not offered up even an afterthought to catching any of those illnesses. Malaria is one of the biggest killers in Africa, and the single biggest killer in children under five. Incomprehensible, considering that mosquito nets and medicine are available for less than $10 bucks per person. I’ve taken so much for granted living here in the “land of plenty”.

Brooke and I are contacting JAARS, one of just a handful of missionary centers around the US who focus of Bible translation and who send missionaries around the world. Even though we are not going on this mission trip through JAARS, they can help administer the necessary vaccinations (and we happen to be just 10-minutes from the JAARS location!). We have discovered that it will costs around $1,000 for us both to be vaccinated, and unfortunately insurance will not cover the cost, since there are vaccinations required for international travel, and not domestic living. It seems that nothing about this process comes without a cost.