Malaria prophylaxis

If all mosquitoes were idiots, would malaria be a problem?

We had a briefing today on Malaria and the chemical preventative options available (medicines).  We watched a short video on the seriousness of malaria and the importance of taking the meds.  It was convincing.  Non-chemical options revolve around not getting bitten in the first place.  Makes you understand why some humans are seriously considering attempting to completely eradicate the mosquito.

The life cycle of the malaria parasite is much more complex than I'd imagined.  There are probably some good Youtube videos on the subject (the bandwidth here isn't good enough for me to watch).

Mefloquine may be taken weekly, which is convenient.  Some users report strange psychological effects, such as vivid dreams.  That may not sound like much, but they're troubling enough that they stop taking mefloquine.

Malarone and doxycycline are the other two,and both are taken daily.  Malarone is more expensive but seems to have the fewest side effects.  A common doxycycline side effect is increased sensitivity to sun, which can be tough in locations like Vanuatu.  Taking an antibiotic for a long time can also be tough on the normal bacterial functions in a body.

While the side effects can be problematic, when weighed against the seriousness of a malaria infection, taking some kind of malaria med is a no-brainer for me.   (And the PC will separate you [send you home] if you don't take one.)  With a malaria infection, your red blood cells get destroyed, and when enough of that happens you can bleed out internally, succeed at organ failure, and/or see what blindness is like.

Most volunteers here opt for malarone, so that's what I'll try first.