malaria and all that

belleshell

gday all,
i was wondering how strict i need to be on the whole malaria thing. may and june, mostly in the hills then two weeks in ragasthan. ive decided not to take any meds, just all that deet and mossie nets n stuff. are there mossies in the hills and ragasthan in summer? aslo, can i ask what are the bare minimum vaccinations (if any), before i go. id prefer not to vaccinate since im a bit suss on them, but id love some advice.
thanks

AllanM

With antimalarials, sometimes the prevention is as bad as the cure. As far as immunizations go. I went without them, but maybe I was foolish. No issues were encountered during or after my visit. Skeeters(mossies) are almost every where, along with a jillion other bugs. A net can be a pain, so try to find places with ceiling fans. With a fan, the flying teeth can't get to you as easily.

Allan

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edwardseco

I went without for several years without and no problems. Then on a short trip my luck ran out..

sudheer poppa

would like to introuduce the below thread. Has a lot about dealing with mosquitos.....

Fighting Mosquitoes: A Beginner’s Guide

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DianeN.

I was astonished that a place as dry as Rajasthan (I wanted to take my eyeballs out and give them a rinse!) that there were still mosquitos. I never imagined that mosquitos could exist without water.
I brought bug repellant--which was handy for sitting out in the evening to avoid mosquito bites and also for flies. Also bought mosquito bite ointment to take away the itch. Got a couple of bites over the 3 weeks I was there. Most hotels had electric mosquito mats.
I guess if I was travelling to a damper or more lush place a net would be in order. Ah, perhaps for a future trip........

glide

Some friends and I will be doing a short tour of Dehli, Agra and Jaipur in the first week of August. What can I expect in terms of mossies (nipers)? I have been reading mixed reviews regarding the anti-malarial pills, any advice?

Cheers

Bryan

As it should be monsoon there will be more than usual but I wouldnt worry unduly about malaria
Just cover up at the usual times don't wear perfumes etc, eat spicey foods (well it is India) and wear a reasonably good mossie cream ...citronella is good and buy an electronic anti mossie thingy with the tbalets and you'll be fine.
If you really want to err on the side of caution, buy a mossie net as not all places have them and they're light, small and cheap

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(As come it will for a' that),
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For a' that, an a' that,
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mercedes10

Belleshell - recommended vaccinations would include typhoid, hepatitis A, polio & tetanus. You can get typhoid & hepatitis combined into 1 injection - it makes your arm feel a bit heavy the day afterwards, but otherwise it's no probs. Polio & tetanus you probably had at school - you'd need to check if you need a booster. As for malaria, the recommended tablets are Proguanil/Chloroquine. You can buy these direct from your pharmacist (no prescription). I know there are horror stories about the effects of malaria tablets, but I can honestly say that I've never had any problems with these tablets at all. Getting vaccinations isn't much fun, but getting ill (especially somehwhere like India) would probably be a whole lot worse!

Betsy Lotze

There is a live typhoid vaccine that you can take by mouth (1 pill every other day for 8 days). No side effects for anyone in my family (including the kids.)
We were also given a low dose antibiotic (doxycylcine) rather than the traditional chloriquine for malaria prevention.
No shots! Everyone happy! (We leave in 2 weeks, we'll see if we are all healthy as well!)

ilona-lara

I am going to India in 1 week . I will use for me and my child homoophatic prevention against malaria. I guess it is as good or as bad as all other stuff. there is no full garanty. but with out the side effects. the price ist about 12 € for a bottel which can be used several years.
have a nice trip
Ilona

Nerrehs

Hey,

I have been on the road for the last year and have been taking doxycycline off and on depending on my location. The only side effect I have had is photo-sensitivity to the sun. Just have to make sure I remember to wear some sunscreen!
Don't be silly and take a chance, knowing you could have helped the situation... that's just my opinion though!

Take Care