Malaria medication

[mtennant]

I am on the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise in January. I am wondering whether we will need to take malaria medication. We will be in Ho Chi Min, Saigon and Halong Bay, in Vietnam as well as Nha Trang. We will also be on the coast in Cambodia-Sihanoukville. We will not have overnight stays. What is the advisable for medication for these areas?

[greatam]

I am on the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise in January. I am wondering whether we will need to take malaria medication. We will be in Ho Chi Min, Saigon and Halong Bay, in Vietnam as well as Nha Trang. We will also be on the coast in Cambodia-Sihanoukville. We will not have overnight stays. What is the advisable for medication for these areas?

 

I am in the Vietnam/Cambodia area for business at least 3 times per year. I have only taken malaria medication ONE time and that was for a trip to Sapa and some Vietnam War areas where I was VERY unsure of the accommodations and would be in the jungle. You will be in "touristy" areas, NOT in the jungle.

 

Please make sure you get Hep A + B shots. Eating the wrong thing or drinking the wrong thing (drinks made with ice from "street bars/restauarants") could land you in serious trouble.

[Spikesgirl]

Good suggestion, GreatAm, although there may not be time for the Hep B shot now. The OP should check it out though. Our cruise documentation had suggestions, but nothing was required. I went to my doctor and asked him. Since he travels frequently, he stays up on the latest news and gave me his advice. You might want to check with yours as well.

 

Also, if you are on shore, only buy bottled water and make sure you break the seal on the cap. Many vendors will want to remove the cap for you, but there is a problem with some vendors filling empty bottles with tap water. You can only be certain of the bottle with cap seals intact.

 

We loved the time we spent in Vietnam and hope you will have an equally enjoyable time.

 

Charlie

[A J Theodore]

There was a recent thread on malaria in "Ports of Call - Asia," well woth reading if you can find it. The consensus seemed to be that malaria preventive medication was definitely worthwhile, assuming that your personal medical providers agree, and several different options were discussed. Malaria is an insidious disease and is readily preventable by several different and very easy treatment regimens. At the very least, check the Centers for Disease Control for information as to the possibilities of malaria in the areas that you are visiting.

[greatam]

There was a recent thread on malaria in "Ports of Call - Asia," well woth reading if you can find it. The consensus seemed to be that malaria preventive medication was definitely worthwhile, assuming that your personal medical providers agree, and several different options were discussed. Malaria is an insidious disease and is readily preventable by several different and very easy treatment regimens. At the very least, check the Centers for Disease Control for information as to the possibilities of malaria in the areas that you are visiting.

 

CDC info is generalized, whole country info. I am NOT denying that there is "malaria in Vietnam and Cambodia-there is. But NOT in the "touristy" areas.

 

DIRECT from the CDC website:

Malaria risk area in Vietnam: Rural only, except no risk in the Red River delta and the coastal plain north of the Nha Trang. No risk in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Da Nang, Nha Trang, Qui Nhon, and Haiphong.

 

Since very few on a cruise will be trekking to Sapa or going into the jungles looking at Vietnam War sites, malaria is NOT needed, even per the CDC. They spray HEAVILY for mosquitos in the cities. A good quality DEET is recommended if you are going to be out at night roaming around (not extremely likely on a cruise ship).

 

IF you want to follow the CDC guidelines for Cambodia, you MAY want to take malaria protection. I spend quite a bit of time around Phnom Penh and do not take it. Have been to Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) twice and Shinoukville once and maybe I took a risk, but strong DEET got me through.

 

From the CDC website:

 

"Malaria risk area in Cambodia: Risk throughout the country, including risk in the temple complex at Angkor Wat. No risk in Phnom Penh and around Lake Tonle Sap."

 

I am much more concerned about risk for Hep A and B, because water and food borne illness are rampant in SE Asia. UNLESS you have a cast iron stomach, DO NOT drink the water, MAKE SURE the bottled water you purchase has SEALED caps (as Spikesgirl pointed out, a lot of vendors REFILL the bottles from tap water-almost got me in Can Tho and I am VERY saavy to the trick), and watch where you are buying "iced drinks". I stick to "warm" drinks if I am in the least suspect where the ice came from. Better yet, a beer-BABA (333) beer tastes almost like Miller Light.

 

And please be aware that you MAY have problems entering Vietnam/Cambodia IF you have visas or entry stamps from Yellow Fever countries. Again, since most seem to question my experience in SE Asia, DIRECT from the CDC website for both Vietnam and Cambodia:

 

"Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Cambodia, the government requires travelers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. If you will be traveling to one of these countries where yellow fever is present before arriving in Cambodia, this requirement must be taken into consideration."

 

I know many have questioned my knowledge about YF, but it depends on which immigration agent you get inspecting your passport. Some don't pay much attention to stamps from other countries. Don't be the unlucky one who gets the agent who questions the Brazil/Peru/Columbia/Panama, etc. etc. stamp in your passport. You MAY find yourself going back to wherever or being unable to disembark in Vietnam/Cambodia for lack of a YF vaccination record. YF is good for 10 years, costs about $100, and sure saves a lot of hassle unless you speak FLUENT Vietnamese/Cambodia and are willing to hassle a government official in a Communist country. I am NOT. I travel too much to too many weird places to put my livelihood and life on the line arguing with a Communist official, who could throw my b*** in jail on a whim.

 

'Nuff said on the subject!!!

[CruiserMom]

I have a personal friend who is an Infectious Disease Dr. and travel specialist. I asked him if I needed both Hep A & B for Vietnam, Malaysia & Tailand (cruising Sydney to Singapore segment of QV's maiden voyage) & he said unless I was planning to be intimate with local people, I would NOT need Hep B, which is only transmitted by sex.

[greatam]

I have a personal friend who is an Infectious Disease Dr. and travel specialist. I asked him if I needed both Hep A & B for Vietnam, Malaysia & Tailand (cruising Sydney to Singapore segment of QV's maiden voyage) & he said unless I was planning to be intimate with local people, I would NOT need Hep B, which is only transmitted by sex.

 

Hep B is body fluids transmitted. Saliva, blood, etc. are all transmission agents of Hep B. I will agree that Hep B is probably NOT needed as badly as Hep A. But a crappy food service worker that cuts their hand or a snotty nose could infect a whole lot of people. I'm not taking any chances (always think of the Eminem song "Slim Shady").

 

Sanitation in third world countries is suspect. The ice in lots of iced drinks in Vietnam/Cambodia is brought to stores/restaurants in large blocks early in the morning wrapped in burlap (much like in the US in the early 1900's). Then the ice is chipped away with a myriad of "tools". One "tool" I saw in downtown Saigon was a piece of metal that looked like it had fallen off someone's motor scooter. It was rough on the edges and had blood on it. Yucky, yucky, yucky. Thank you, but I will take the shots-all of them.

[Keith1010]

I am on the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise in January. I am wondering whether we will need to take malaria medication. We will be in Ho Chi Min, Saigon and Halong Bay, in Vietnam as well as Nha Trang. We will also be on the coast in Cambodia-Sihanoukville. We will not have overnight stays. What is the advisable for medication for these areas?

 

My experience with asking for advice with respect to medications/vaccinations on these boards is your best bet is to consult with either your doctor or with a travel medical specialist. Let them know what ports you will be in, and where you plan to travel (eg., near the port, inland, etc.) so that you can get a recommendation that is best for you.

 

In the end, I would trust a medical professional when it comes to this topic.

 

Keith