CHILDREN AND MALARIA TABLETS/alcohol

stormrainbow

New member
Aug 2, 2003
12
0
0
Hi all

I know this is a common topic..is malaria tablets needed and I see the majority say the tablets are not needed (we will be in Puerta Plata). But as a parent I have that worry that I should use some protection for my 4 yr old boy, but I also feel that these medicines can be very unhealthy! Any comments on children taking malaria tablets/syrup? I would really appreciate any help as people here in the uk are forcing these tablets at me, but the people who live in the DR dont seem to feel the need. Also I have read somewhere that you cant drink with Niviquine and other tablets/or only very little...Im no alchoholic but I dont really wish to be t total, or even limit myself to a glass of wine at dinner on my dream holiday!!! I want to let my hair down, lol!:classic:

So you lucky people who live there or anyone who indeed can help, Id love to hear from you.

Thank you......Emma
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,372
3,150
113
Unless you are planning to spend most of your time in a Bateye (a sugar cane ramshackle community, most often filled with Haitian migrants) or be anywhere near the Haitian border, then you have nothing to worry about.

What you should be worried about is sun burn, bring the best sun block cream you can find.

Enjoy your stay!;)

-NAL
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Nal has said it right.

I was going to say :"Aw come on! Will you?" I have lived here for 40+ years and never taken a malaria tablet after the first year (when I was required to do so) and Ha never had any problems.

You are not going to Cameroon or the Ivory Coast or Togo for God's sake!
These are some nice places you will be visiting. I have taken my family to Puerto Plata for weeks every summer for more than twenty years...Nothing!

Bring (1) Really good (30+) Sun Block, you Brits are too white and look like lobsters after two days!!-> wrinkles down the line.
(2) Some bug spray like OFF with DEET ( or anything with DEET) or you can buy some here at the local market. For nasty little "No-see-ems" like gnats, and of course the mosquito population, while under controll is always looking for new meat!!!:p:p Apply mornings and evenings and use socks and long pants....especially in the evening.

And enjoy yourselves.....

HB--father to four, stepfather to seven and grandfather to eight...I know kids...
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
4,837
0
0
Nal0whs said:
Unless you are planning to spend most of your time in a Bateye (a sugar cane ramshackle community, most often filled with Haitian migrants) or be anywhere near the Haitian border, then you have nothing to worry about.

I am not sure the mere presence of Haitians in non endemic areas is an exposure vector to malaria. Malaria is present where the mosquitos carrying the paraistes are prevalent and the endemic areas are along the border with Haiti and Altagracia provice though that may be limited risk at best. A batey near Santo Domingo is not a malaria hot zone due to Haitians living there and comments like that sound bigoted.

Both endemic areas are likely high risk due to standing water, along the Haiti border in particular due to overlogging.

Also having been to the Haitian batey near San Isidro it is not ramshackle and has a community of proud nice people who it was a joy to meet.
 

Marketgirl

New member
Oct 6, 2005
20
0
0
Worth a try

Hi Stormrainbow

I am heading to the Dominican Republic in April next year for the first time. Friends of mine who has travelled quite extensively suggested that I take Vitamin B1 to assist with Mosquito problems.

Vitamin B1 or Betamin (type I am taking) comes in capsule form and would cost around $5US for 100 capsules. I take one each morning but then I have about 6 months for it to build up my resistance. The local pharmasist also knew about the use of this vitamin for this purpose, so perhaps you could ask your pharmasist about it for your children.

The vitamin is meant to emit a scent through the pores that is undetectable to humans but Mosquitos don't like. So far we are just about into Summer here in Australia and I have not had any mosquito problems even though there are plenty around.

Be aware though, that what works for one person may not another.

At least I will still be able to have a few alcoholic beverages to celebrate easter in the DR.

:classic:

Cheers

Nadia
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,372
3,150
113
ricktoronto said:
I am not sure the mere presence of Haitians in non endemic areas is an exposure vector to malaria. Malaria is present where the mosquitos carrying the paraistes are prevalent and the endemic areas are along the border with Haiti and Altagracia provice though that may be limited risk at best. A batey near Santo Domingo is not a malaria hot zone due to Haitians living there and comments like that sound bigoted.

Both endemic areas are likely high risk due to standing water, along the Haiti border in particular due to overlogging.

Also having been to the Haitian batey near San Isidro it is not ramshackle and has a community of proud nice people who it was a joy to meet.
I'm basing my assumption based on data presented year after year of malaria infection among the Haitian community vs the Dominican community.

Malaria is not created by the mosquitos, the mosquitos only carry the malaria virus from one host to another. In order for the mosquito to carry the malaria virus, it will need to bite someone with malaria.

Given that Haiti has an exorbitant rate of malaria, DR has a very very low rate of malaria and within DR, Haitians are much more likely to have malaria than Dominicans, not to mention that whenever a malaria outbreak occurs, a community of Haitians are never too far away, I would continue to caution people regarding malaria risk within areas of heavy presence of Haitians and/or anywhere near the Haitian border.

If you have any data that shows higher rates of malaria prevailance in DR vs Haiti or within Dominicans vs Haitians within DR, please make me aware of them.

Until then, I will continue to make the assumptions I have made much in the manner I make assumptions of everything I do. If the evidence does not points the opposite way, I have little need to change by assumptions.

This is similar with the case of Aids transmission and infection. The data shows (and this data is easily available on the net) that Haitians have a high rate of Aids and infections of the sort. Within DR, it also shows higher than normal rates within Haitian community vs Dominican communities. Is this a bigoted statement? Hardly, its simply based on what the data shows.

-NAL
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
This malaria thing? In another thread another poster (FireGuy) said the same thing, that malaria is more prevalent in areas where there are Haitians, by the fact that Haitians have more malaria?

Somehow, something in the reasoning sounds wrong in that statement. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Last I heard, female mosquitos suck the blood of mammals in order to lay eggs. So, in an area where there are many Haitians, can it not be said that there may be many animals as well? Rural and all that?

So, why are we highlighting more malaria in areas where there are more Haitian people? Should we not consider the mammals as well? or the standing water that gives a breeding ground for more mosquitos?

What is wrong with the reasoning in that darn statement 'cause something is wrong with it for sure?

Nals, you should caution people to be suspicious of areas with lots of standing water and lots of mammals as well. Not just Haitians.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,372
3,150
113
Chris said:
This malaria thing? In another thread another poster (FireGuy) said the same thing, that malaria is more prevalent in areas where there are Haitians, by the fact that Haitians have more malaria?

Somehow, something in the reasoning sounds wrong in that statement. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Last I heard, female mosquitos suck the blood of mammals in order to lay eggs. So, in an area where there are many Haitians, can it not be said that there may be many animals as well? Rural and all that?

So, why are we highlighting more malaria in areas where there are more Haitian people? Should we not consider the mammals as well? or the standing water that gives a breeding ground for more mosquitos?

What is wrong with the reasoning in that darn statement 'cause something is wrong with it for sure?

Nals, you should caution people to be suspicious of areas with lots of standing water and lots of mammals as well. Not just Haitians.
I think its common knowledge that standing water breeds mosquitos, but mosquitos are not the creators of any mosquito transmitted disease.

Mosquito in themselves are nothing more than a neusance. They only become dangerous if they suck blood from a living thing that has a particular disease that the mosquito is prone to carry, but not get infected. Notice, malaria does absolutely nothing to the mosquito.

However, it's like I said on the previous response, show me the data that shows higher rates of malaria occurences in among Dominican population vs Haitian populations living here.

Show me data showing the differences between Haitians living in bateyes and Haitians living in Dominican urban centers.

All data shows higher percentage of infection of malaria among Haitian communities, more so than other communities. Why?

I don't know, but this is what the data shows!

I think the only thing that many folks here don't like is the fact that here is a Dominican saying something that could easily be taken as anti-Haitian, and since people look at Dominicans suspiciously, there must be something wrong in statements warning people of other people. Afterall, Hillbilly has also made similar statements like this before and he made a note of agreeing with what I have stated. Other non-Dominicans living here have made such statements as well, right here on DR1 and never has anyone ever said anything about the statement being bigoted and/or something wrong.

But again, show me the data that shows higher infection of malaria among Dominicans than Haitians. There are plenty of Dominicans who have domestic animals, live around standing water across the countryside. Why do Haitians have a higher incidence of malaria than Dominicans?

I'm not convinced that Dominicans may be immune to such disease, because that would be a racist misconception. But I do believe what the data shows, just how in the United States non-whites have a lower life expectancy than whites. Why is this the case, who knows? But that is what the data shows.

-NAL

BTW: I'm not blaming you or anything, neither am I calling you or suggesting that you may be an anti-Dominican. I have no reason to believe such thing, but I do notice different ways people in general accept similar comments from a Dominican vs a non-Dominican. This may be done unconsciously, but I do find this bothersome, particularly now that there is so much anti-Dominican crap being spread around the world.

I do find it bothersome that I have to constantly defend just about anything I say regarding Haitians, as oppose to other non-Dominican posters who make similar posts as I do and they are hardly, if ever questioned.