malaria prophylaxis

[mom kaplan]

Do many people take the malaria prophylaxis drugs before and/or during their cruise to Labadee? Anyone have information on the incidence of occurance for malaria by cruisers?

[cb at sea]

No one....unless you have a predisposition to Malaria! You're there during daylight hours...few, if any, mosquitos..and I'm pretty sure they spray for those little buggers. No worries....I don't think one single person has ever contracted malaria from a beach day on Labadee!

[JetSet2B]

I was wondering about the need to take chloroquine. A doctor I worked with advised getting the DEET spray however.

[jerin]

A bug repellent with DEET is a good idea, but like most resort areas, I believe that Labadee is pretty heavily and frequently sprayed, so the insect population shouldn't be a problem.

I can see my dh justifying a couple of gin and tonics as a (n unnecessary) preventative measure as well.

[boingy300]

How can one have a predisposition to malaria? I stay in (the real ) Haiti freq. and there I do take anti-malarials, because I am there when mosquitoes come out. I have also been to Labadee 3 times, and have never felt the need, nor had a bug bite. Chloroquin will give you a "swimming/floating" sensation and if you are in any way prone to sea sickness.....not sure it's a good mix. DEET will be used by me in March for the flies, not a mosquito fear. It's a pretty island, not good snorkeling. Good beach day.

Karen