Job Discussion Forums

angelag · Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 3 Location: fife scotland

hey, im going to vietnam in june for 6 months to teach and am having a bit of a dilemma regarding the malaria medication. The nurse at my doctors surgery said that i would need to take malaria tablets every day that i was there at a cost of �500! (ouch). does this still apply in the cities as i will be spending the majority of my time in ho chi minh. any ideas/suggestions gratefully recieved....

inky · Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 283 Location: Hanoi

The nurse doesn't know what she's talking about. No need for malaria medication in HCMC. Check the CDC website, and give the web address to that nurse.

angelag · Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 3 Location: fife scotland

thanks for that, that is very helpful! i will pass on the info to the nurse

YAMARI · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 247 Location: shanghai

Malaria tablets have huge side effects, so I would advise to stay away from them.

cbasheville · Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 23

I'd say the best malaria 'pill' is tonic water

milkcan · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

The nurse also gave me some malaria tablets when I went to Vietnam. I took the first few days and then I missed a couple of days, so I stopped completely. I'm one of those people that is like a buffet to mosquitoes and bugs. So I got lots of bites. But I was fine and didn't get malaria. I went to the pharmacist and got some OTC lotion (I think mine was called Sofie) that helps repel mosquito. That helped a lot.