Anyone given their kids anti-malaria tablets?

[IOwn20PurpleKnickers]

We're going to Africa in April, and now I'm feeling terrible about imposing the vaccinations on our 3 kids (11, 9 and 7). Plus the malaria tablets - I read that with paediatric malarone (and adult too??), 1 in 10 get stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache and diarrhoea!

What have I done? Has anyone given them to their kids and how have they been on them?

I grew up in Africa, and we were regularly given anti malaria tablets when visiting malaria areas, I never remember any side effects. (Was years and years ago though)

Where in Africa are you going? Are you actually visiting a malaria area?

Oh thank you - it's lower risk but advised we should as we pass through a high risk briefly. Now to find out if we need rabies jabs. Argh.

Kenya x

I took anti malaria tablets as a child and was fine. My dad hated them. The only problem for all of us was remembering as we weren't on any other regular medication.

Thank you - reassuring!

The recommended jabs are ones they should have anyway so not an imposition. The extras are fewer.

Remember the dengue risk too - 24/7 real insect repellent with d e e t needed.

The malaria medication is a standard antibiotic, nothing special.

I remember taking anti malaria tablets when we lived in Africa! I was a toddler, but the taste is so bad, it stays with you! We used to have the tablets mashed into a teaspoonful of jam, if you're struggling getting them down

We all took malarone last year and none of us had any side effects at all. It is much much better than the anti-malarials of a few years ago. Some people we met on safari were taking doxycycline instead (which is the antibiotic one) and that does quite commonly cause nausea. No one seemed bothered by malarone. I’m sure you’ll all be fine.

Malarone is generally well tolerated - fewer side effects than some of the other antimalarials. Given that Kenya is high risk for malaria (except Nairobi) I'd take the Malarone.

You'd also need Hep A, typhoid, possibly Yellow Fever depending where you're going and potentially Hep B, meningitis and cholera.

Rabies jabs just buy you time so may not be needed depending on how remote you will be.

Thank you everyone!

Sidge - re. rabies - we're 2hrs + from a hospital, and I'm trying to find out from the resort what their rabies risk is.
Hep B - international shortage, so not available.
Cholera - we'll be drinking desalinated and sterilised water, so that should be ok.
Meningitis - we're not going to the meningitis belt
Yellow Fever - we're going to nairobi and lamu, which is considered low risk / not needed I believe.

My children have taken malarone several times - no ill effects. I would also make sure all your standard childhood vaccinations are up to date - tetanus, polio, diptheria etc.