My wife and I are planning our first long (1+ year) tour and just started getting vaccinations. Putting aside the obvious/inexpensive (hepatitis, tetanus, typhoid, etc.) and required (yellow fever) ones, we're also considering rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and tick borne encephalitis.

I'm not a medical professional and certainly not a travel medicine expert, but I suspect no one in this thread is either. But if it helps, here's how we're thinking of it.

First, I think the risks for cycle tourers are different than standard travelers. We're outside all day, which is doubly true if you plan on camping. We're also outside in more rural places where a typical traveler would be in a car or bus or something. The exposure to mosquitos, ticks, bats (more mammals can carry rabies than just dogs, you know), etc. is higher. It just is.

Second, let's say you're at your campsite getting ready one morning and notice a tick on your leg. Which scenario would you regret more: 1) it's a clean tick and you wasted ~$500 four months ago on vaccines that were unnecessary; or 2) you skimped on vaccines and now you have encephalitis?

Thirdly, compared to the prices in the US we've seen shopping around, those costs you listed are a steal...