NEW RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER IN SANTO
DAN evacuation, accident and injury insurance is valid for divers in Vanuatu following the installation and testing of a new hyperbaric chamber being set up now in Santo - the home of the famous shipwreck President Coolidge.
MALARIA & HEALTHY TRAVELING
In your preparations for a Vanuatu adventure, please consider the risk of Malaria and prepare for it wisely. Always wearing insect repellant while on shore greatly minimizes the risk of malaria. But it does not totally protect you in Vanuatu or anywhere. You will still need to take antimalarial medication several days or weeks prior to your Vanuatu journey as well as after you return home.
The following points summarize the current wisdom surrounding general vaccinations, anti-malarial choice and use, but they are by no means the complete gospel. The other links included here regarding malaria and travel health in Vanuatu provide excellent back ground information and medical check lists. Please consult your doctor as soon as possible for the professional advice and prescription chemoprophylaxis that suits your specific situation and constitution. So long as you are appropriately informed and prepared, there is no reason why malaria should cause you any stress or stop you from fully enjoying your diving vacation in Vanuatu.
Vaccines Highly Recommended for Vanuatu
Vaccination is not compulsory, so no one will look at the little yellow book, but immunizations are a wise precaution
All travelers need to be up to date with childhood vaccines such as Polio, Tetanus, and Diphtheria within the last TEN years
Some travelers may be recommended Measles/Mumps/ Rubella Vaccine or influenza vaccine regardless of destination due to their age or medical history
Malaria Occurs Throughout Vanuatu
Malaria is caused by a parasite carried in the bite of some mosquitoes. Personal protection must be supplemented by medication. There are five drugs with which most doctors should be familiar.
Lariam (Mefloquine)
The drug most often recommended to travelers from the US for the prevention of malaria
Side effects can be serious and uncomfortable - especially risky for scuba divers - seizures, paralysis
Must be taken with food, no alcohol on day of weekly dose
Doxycyline
A broad-spectrum antibiotic that acts against malaria parasites
Good alternative (mild side effects) to Mefloquine, especially for short journeys abroad (less than 3 months)
Photosensitivity minimized by avoiding direct sunlight and taking the daily dose in the evening
Chloroquine
Less effective these days - many resistant strains
Second-line agent
Proguanil
Safe with minor side effects
Needs to be use WITH Chloroquine - not effective alone
Malarone
Favorable side effect profile and highly efficacious against malaria
Contains proguanil and atovaquone
Relatively new, becoming popular
For more information, please do browse through these pages and sites by some of the world's most expert sources of information on tropical medicine and malaria.
www.tmvc.com.au/info10.html
www.tmvc.com.au/info2.html
www.tmvc.com.au/info13.html
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/malaria/austspac.htm
www.tripprep.com/index.html
www.tripprep.com/country/sp194.html
www.travelhealth.com/index.htm
www.travelhealth.com/australi2.htm
www.rph.wa.gov.au/labs/haem/malaria/prophylaxis.html
