[Gocamino] Immunization

[Blaroli@aol.com]

Hi Wendy,
As far as I know there aren't any particular health dangers in Spain for 
which one may need immunization.
As in any walk in the country one may face mosquitoes, bees and the like. 
Visitors from several countries in America, including the USA,  are not required 
to obtain a visa to go to Spain, consequently we do not get in touch with any 
Spain consulate and do not receive their advice in health matters; but I have 
never heard anywhere of any particular  health  risks on the Camino.
The real danger lies in catching bugs and infections from other people in the 
closed confines of an airplane during a long flight.  Returning from Vienna 
in early March I sat next to a guy that was coming from Singapore; he had a 
strange cough and, as it turned out,  an even stranger bug that gave me a very 
serious viral infection which  kept me seriously  ill for weeks and weeks. That 
wasn't the first time that I had caught a bug in a plane, but it was, far and 
away, the most serious.
Since I won't stay put, and because of the seriousness of the viral 
infection, my son gave me a little gizmo that hangs around  one's neck and keeps 
microbes and germs away.  The thing is the size of a D battery and weighs next to 
nothing. It is called a "Minimate"  Ionic personal Air Purifier and it works on 
a  replaceable lithium battery that lasts at least  50 hours.
Day before yesterday, coming back from Spain  in an eight-hour flight,  there 
was someone with a terrible cold sitting in  front of me and someone who 
wouldn't stop sneezing and coughing sitting behind. I hung the little thing around 
my neck after I heard the first cough, turned it on,  and forgot about it for 
the length of the trip.  So far it looks like the gizmo worked; I feel 
absolutely fine. Reportedly the little thing prevents the inhalation risk of toxic 
particles including airborne viruses and bacteria.
The thing is made by Wein products, Inc. in Los Angeles, Cal. They have a web 
site:
www.weinproducts.com  and an e-mail address:  weinprod at aol.com.
I, for one, do not intend to leave home without it.
Last week in Seville I got several books on the Camino, including one that 
offers all sorts of medical advice for the ailments that may befall pilgrims.  I 
will post the contents of the book in case anyone here  is interested in a 
particular subject.
And Judy, thanks for the notice of the "Life in the Mediterranean on the XV 
and XVI Centuries" at the Alcazar.  It is gorgeous and endlessly fascinating.
Warm regards,
Rosina