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Malaria precautions
Do most guests take the malaria prophylaxis for visit to Victoria Falls during the rainy season (Feb). Any suggestions/advice would be welcome.
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Do most guests take the malaria prophylaxis for visit to Victoria Falls during the rainy season (Feb). Any suggestions/advice would be welcome.
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I'll be going in May. My travel clinic doctor prescribed Malarone. I know that there has been a discussion on the Forum about the gastrointestinal problems that that drug has caused many people; however, I'm planning to follow my doctor's advice...which is what you should do, too. (And I do have a prescription for an antibiotic if I get a severe case of diarrhea.)
When I went, they recommended Malarone. Took it with no problems. You can purchase Malarone in South Africa without a prescription. If I remember correctly a package was about $50.
Will people really scout round for a pharmacy when they get there?
I didn't have any problem finding a pharmacy and purchasing Malarone. Your mileage may vary.
If my memory serves, you are supposed to start taking it several days before you get there. If you plan on taking it, you need to make sure you also purchase Imodium.
The instructions say to start one day before entering the area where Malara is endemic. If you enter South Africa through Cape Town, you can purchase your Malarone there and start taking it one day before you leave for Victoria Falls. Clicks is a good, very large pharmacy.
Probably similar if you enter through Joburg.
Here's a map
Here's another map of malaria risk. This map shows Victoria Falls.
Here's the CDC information in a slightly different presentation than what Mike provided.
There's probably a pharmacy in the airport.
We are going in September. Although this information is very helpful and informative, we will be going to our international travel clinic and follow their recommendations. We took Malarone when in Kenya and Tanzania and we had no problems with it. We also have a supply of Imodium and an antibiotic for traveler’s diarrhea whenever we travel. We also bring along packets of Propel that can be added to water to replenish electrolytes just in case.
We took Malerone for about 12 trips with no problems until last trip. I still think people should take the meds as the CDC recommends, because as Jan says, most people are fine taking the meds as directed. We will try again next trip. We were in a malaria eradicated area until we got to Botswana and then Vic Falls in November so did not start taking Malaria meds until after we arrived in Africa. There were mosquitoes in the VictoriaFalls area. They were bothersome.
We always take Immodium, antibiotics and hydration powders. I needed all of those for my Malerone woes.
We went to our travel clinic recently for 2 upcoming trips including the South Africa trip. They advised returning shortly before our September trip to South Africa because the recommendations are undergoing revision.
Bucketlist, do they chart you per visit?
What does chart the visit mean? Do you mean charge? If so, my insurance covers it. This is a new place, Beth Israel Hospital. Most travel clinics near us have closed. We opted for expensive insurance (a federal plan with medicare part
since we travel overseas and want to return if we kick the bucket with the least expense!
Whoops, I should have said charge. The two travel clinics we used in the past closed even before the pandemic. We don’t use them anymore, we have all our shots and use the CDC for our malaria info, talk to our prImary physician and he prescribes them, usually via a phone message.