Read the fine print on these "anti" malarial drugs.
In fact, they do not prevent you from getting malaria (the parasite), but act to prevent the symptoms, and not the actual infection.
I became particularly interested in "anti" malarial drugs, after my child of 4 years exhibited a reaction (within about 3 or 4 hours) of taking Chloroquin and Malaparim.
His skin erupted in "hives" and he was "itchy all over. The antedote prescribed in this case was an anti-histamine (Polarimine).
The effect on the others in my family was severe tiredness, and lethargy for the next 48 hours.
Eighteen months - 2 years later, our little boy - who was now 5 y.o. - was diagnosed with AML, acute myeloid leukaemia - a blood disorder (basically) originating in the bone marrow, which in kids is the spinal cord and joints..esp. the knee joints.
Whilst he was in hospital, a 15 year old girl was admitted in the bed alongside.
She and her family had just migrated to Australia, from South Africa. She was the only girl, in a family of 3 children, and her name was Ashley.
Ashley, her 2 brothers, and her parents had spent the last couple of weeks farewelling friends, but were reminded at one friend's house to take their anti-malarial tablets.
It dawned on them, that in the "frenzy" of their packing, they had forgotten to leave out the tablets that they usually used, and so their friends suggested that they use the same drugs they had been taking, albeit different ones to those which Ashley's family had been using, and take the remainder of the packet with them.
A couple of weeks later, Ashley was becoming noticably more tired, and looking pale.
A blood test indicated that she was anaemic, and that the cause of the anaemia needed to be investigated.
Further blood tests revealed that Ashley was suffering from aplastic anaemia - a condition where the bone marrow production of blood cells is suppressed - and is also warned against, as a possible side affect of taking the drug, in the fine print!!
Quite frankly speaking, I believe that the risks of taking internal "anti" malarial drugs, FAR outweigh the risks involved of applying anti-mosquito lotion and wearing protective clothing (long sleeved shirts and pants).
I cannot PROVE that so-called "anti" malarial drugs caused ny son's leukaemia.
I can say - from information given to me by Ashley's parents - that her aplastic anaemia more than certainly DID result from the usage of those tablets!