Hi all,

I recently went to Southeast Asia for 4.5 months and although I used bug repellent religiously, I got Dengue while I was in Koh Phangan. I am a 26 year old female in good health and I have never been that sick in my life. Because there is no cure, I didn't go to the doctor initially until I literally felt like my brain was melting from the 104 F fever, and ended up being hospitalized for 4 days.

Fast forward to now, I am planning to go to South America for maybe 6 months. As someone who has previously had Dengue, I've been told that I should get a vaccine as it is likely to be worse next time. I live in the US, and unfortunately it is not approved for adults right now. I have done a bit of research and know that it is available in Brazil and Argentina, but from what I've seen there is only a limited supply so I don't know if I would be able to get it.

I still want to go to South America, but I am very wary about getting Dengue again, since it was so awful the first time.

Has anyone had experience with getting the Dengue vaccine as a backpacker in South America? Thanks!

And those who will say to just wear long-sleeves, wear mosquito spray, etc., I did that in Southeast Asia and let me tell you, those fuckers love me and they will find a way to get me no matter what 🥲