Injections / malaria tablets for DC

[KeziaCunningham]

Has anyone been away anywhere with risk of malaria and other tropical diseases with kids?

I've been saving up for two years now and planning a real trip of a lifetime to South America and Galapagos next summer. It will be me and DD who will be 12. She's fit and healthy other than well controlled asthma. We're looking at going to Machu Picchu and to Ecuador and it's all right on the boundary of the malaria risk area.

Veryyyyyyyy jealous, I'm a massive tortoise lover and keeper. No advice on malaria soz :)

We went to Venezuela on an extended trip. would suggest you go and speak to your practice nurse asap about what vaccinations are recommended. you then have many months to spread the jabs out over which is better for your DC. we bought a mosquito net and suncream with anti mosi in it. also jungle formula as some of the bites did go septic and weren't nice (I am a mosi magnet though). with anti malarials best to try them out at home before you go. some of them give me real problems (am asthmatic as well) and it is just a matter of finding what suits. with malaria it is better to be safe than sorry so even if not in the area but next to it would think hard about getting the right protection.

I,ve travelled to the tropics with my son. At the age of 8 he was already on Larium. After that we took Malarone (due to the iffy reports about Larium). But having said that, neither of us had any problems with either of them.

Just make sure all vaccinations are up to date before you go.

You'll have an amazing time and are giving your daughter the opportunity of a lifetime (yourself too of course ).

My son is 22 now, at university and he just left for Panama and Colombia with his girlfriend for a month. He certainly inherited my travel bug (which I inherited from my parents too).....

Oh yea, Machu Picchu is still on my list

Thanks all. We're ridiculously excited. I'm sure I'll be back on here with tons of questions for anyone who's been. I was due to go to Machu Picchu (booked and paid) when I found out I was pregnant 12 yrs ago, (would have been 8 months at the time of the trip) and I remember saying at the time - never mind. I'll go one day with my child.

We'll be there for my 40th so it's a birthday present to myself as well as a great experience for DD.

Anyway I've made an appt with the nurse and hopefully will be a bit clearer after that. The flights are released in the next couple of weeks and if there are any restrictions because of vaccinations / health risks I'd rather know sooner so we can avoid areas that are higher risk. I think the highest risk bit is the 5 nights in a lodge in the rain forest, but that's the bit DD really wants to do, so I guess it's a case of weighing up the risks.

make sure you have good travel insurance, they ask for pre existing conditions. If you do not tell them about her having asthma and something did happen out there (even things that are not related to asthma) you will not be covered. Take extra puffers and if altitude sickness gets to any of you remember it can look like an asthma attack. On the safe side I would try and get to lower ground.

being at altitude may affect her asthma so be prepared for this. I got very headachy when we were high up and had to take things at a grannys pace or felt exhausted.