Malaria in Roatan?

[HowieDean]

I spent quite a few years of my childhood in Taiwan and had the good fortune of visiting some little islands coming and going (Truk, Yap, Ponape, Guam, Saipan, etc.). I'm thankful that my parents weren't too afraid to drag me to these places where excellent medical care was almost non-existent.

I have never tried to lead anybody to believe that my brain is capable of anything more then day to day survival so maybe you actually can remeber some of the stuff...

My only pre - 5 year old memory - is of a stay in the hospital when I was 3. That memory consists of something about a crib - and a little blue truck that they gave me which I still have.

Dragging todlers around on vacation is not my idea of responsible parenting - and I don't just mean to third world under develped places.

That's just my opion I could be wrong

 

[Gussy]

I am not sure what an 18 month old infant will learn from this cultural opportunity that you are eager to expose them to.

I don't have an 18-month old infant...so you might be confusing me with someone else. I have a 4-year old and an 8-year old.

Where I am going with this? It should be clear by now...I really want to go to Roatan, but I can't leave my kids with anyone. So we have to take them where we ever we are going. I don't know if you have kids or not...but it's not like I want to bring them there. After all it will cost a few thousand to lug them along.

I'm just trying to determine if the Malaria issue is really widespread or not. I'm sure you've heard from some people who'll never set foot on Africa as they're afraid of getting Ebola. And to take to the extreme end, I've met some people in my travels who will not set foot on San Francisco because they are worried about AIDS. Now is that real or not?

 

[undefined]

The threat, while being small, is real.

Take the meds. Best advice - get the doc to prescribe you a few extras and do a dry run before you go on holiday to ensure you kids have no problems with the meds. Keep in mind, the most common prescription is for chloroquine and is 500mg one week before travel, 500mg once per week while traveling, and 500mg per week for four weeks after travel. If you start them TWO weeks ahead of travel instead of one week you should have no worries in verifying that they handle the meds well. One pill per week per person. Easy as pie.

 

[Gussy]

You're going to do what you're going to do. You are going to take your baby into the edges of the jungle.

Where are you headed with this?

Sorry to be so blunt, but I can draw no other conclusion from your posts.

If you are going to pump this tiny body full of prophylactic meds, if you're going to slather his little body completely with supposedly cancer causing insect repellents- that's your one option.

I just don't get it. Sorry to rant, I'll be quiet, now.

I grew up in a third world country where according to "westeners" millions of people die each year due to some cholera epedimic. Guess what? In my 16 years of being there, I do not know of anyone who ever got sick of cholera...let alone die from it.

Why do you have to be so rude? If you are feeling really lousy today, you can just ignore my thread. Some people need a really clear answer and until Howie came along and said "Yes, I know a few people who got it" no one here could tell me if this is hype or not. Just a bunch of "I heard from..."

 

[Gussy]

The threat, while being small, is real.

Take the meds. Best advice - get the doc to prescribe you a few extras and do a dry run before you go on holiday to ensure you kids have no problems with the meds. Keep in mind, the most common prescription is for chloroquine and is 500mg one week before travel, 500mg once per week while traveling, and 500mg per week for four weeks after travel. If you start them TWO weeks ahead of travel instead of one week you should have no worries in verifying that they handle the meds well. One pill per week per person. Easy as pie.

Thanks, but we decided last night that we'll skip Roatan for now. I'm not too comfortable with the my kids taking anti-malaria medication at their age.

 

[undefined]

Gussy,

Keep in mind that malaria is common in almost tropical locations. If you decided to skip Roatan but go to Jamaica, BVI, or anywhere else that is more 'civilized' instead you are still introducing your little ones to risks. The risks will be marginally smaller, as most of the big resorts put enough toxic chemicals into the ground to kill anything, but don't pick another location because it's not "Central America".

What is your fall back plan?

 

[Gussy]

Gussy,

Keep in mind that malaria is common in almost tropical locations. If you decided to skip Roatan but go to Jamaica, BVI, or anywhere else that is more 'civilized' instead you are still introducing your little ones to risks. The risks will be marginally smaller, as most of the big resorts put enough toxic chemicals into the ground to kill anything, but don't pick another location because it's not "Central America".

What is your fall back plan?

My other choices are: Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Bora Bora, and Hawaii...plus some other no-diving destination.

 

[mow2000]

My only pre - 5 year old memory - is of a stay in the hospital when I was 3. That memory consists of something about a crib - and a little blue truck that they gave me which I still have.

That's my point. You had a boring childhood. I remember traveling to Tokyo when I was four. They were all out of western-style rooms at the hotel so we stayed in a room with sliding paper walls. I remember my father bathing me out of a wooden bucket and sleeping on tatami mats on the floor. And I remember opening the gift my grandmother had given me - a toy vw bug - which i no longer have.

But, really, the last thing any of us should be doing is telling someone how to parent his or her child.

 

[mynamehere]

wow. i just joined yesterday...you guys are effing brutal.

 

[undefined]

Not brutal, just opinionated. As they said at my grandfather's funeral:

"John was a man of many opinions, and he never hesitated to share them with you." [whether you liked it or not]