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Medical Information |
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Recommended
inoculations: The following immunization suggestions should be used as a guideline. This information has been prepared for adult travellers with journeys of up to 3-4 weeks. Arrange a schedule of injections, beginning at least two months prior to departure, so that they can be adequately spaced. All injections should be entered on your International Certificate of Vaccination provided by the facility giving the injections, and kept with your passport while travelling. This also provides an important personal record for you to refer to when making future travel plans. Injections may cause some discomfort, consult with your medical doctor if this is experienced. Injections do not guarantee a hundred percent immunity. Continue to take all precautions against contact with contaminated or suspect sources. The following injections are either recommended or required for entry: (Please check this with your physician.) Cholera: Cholera does occur in some African countries. Medical opinions differ as to the effectiveness of the vaccine. However the injection may be required for entry to Zambia and Botswana if you are coming from an infected African country, such as Kenya. Please consult with your physician about the vaccination. Polio: An oral booster, if you had the original 3 doses. Polio is not uncommon in remote parts of Africa. Gamma Globulin: For partial protection against hepatitis A. This should be taken as close to departure as possible, as the protection subsides after a few weeks. Strongly recommended for travel to any developing country. Tetanus Booster: It is easy to get a small cut, and cleanliness may be a problem. A booster is strongly recommended. (effective 10 years). Typhoid: The initial series of injections is in 2 injections spaced 1 month apart. A single-dose booster is good for 3 years. Outbreaks of typhoid are quite rare in South Africa. Yellow fever: Required for entry into Zambia and Botswana if you are coming from other African countries such as Kenya. Single injection is good for 10 years. More in-depth information you are advised to consult with your Physician. Malaria: All travellers to the Northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the lower escarpment area of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa must take anti-malaria precautions, unless contra-indicated by your doctor. Consult your physician as to the best form of prophylactic to take, or contact the nearest tropical disease centre. If you have a persistent fever, muscle ache and headache after returning from your trip, report to your doctor the possibility of exposure to malaria. Further precautions against malaria: wear long sleeves, long pants and high-necked shirts, especially in the early evenings. Thin clothing should be sprayed with repellent, especially around the elbows and ankles. Repellents can be found locally in most of the resorts where it is necessary, but we recommend taking your own. Always carry cream or repellent in a zip-lock plastic sack. When sprayed or spilled, the ingredients damage many plastics such as spectacles or watch crystals. Wipe repellents off your hands, as they make binocular coatings and other surfaces sticky. YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO READ MORE ABOUT MALARIA: WHAT IS MALARIA? Malaria is a potentially fatal illness of tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is caused by a parasite, which is transmitted, to human beings bitten by infected mosquitoes. WHICH AREAS HARBOUR MALARIA? Within South Africa’s borders the disease is encountered mainly in northern and eastern Mpumalanga, northern KwaZulu-Natal and the border areas of the Limpopo and North West provinces. Malaria transmission is at its highest during the warmer and wetter months of November trough to April. From May through to October the risks of acquiring malaria are reduced. HOW TO AVOID MALARIA Prevention of malaria relies upon adopting personal protection measures designed to reduce the chances of attracting a mosquito bite, and the use of appropriate anti-malaria medication. Both personal protection methods and anti-malaria medication are important, and neither should be neglected at the expense of the other. PERSONAL PROTECTION MEASURES Personal measures against mosquito bites include the use of an appropriate insect repellent containing di-ethyl toluamide (DEET), the wearing of clothing to conceal as much of the body as practical, sleeping under mosquito nets, and the spraying of sleeping quarters with a suitable pyrethroid containing insecticide. Most of the private reserves spray the rooms and the surrounding dams where mosquitoes breed with an eco friendly pyrethroid on a regular basis. ANTI-MALARIA TABLET (PROPHYLAXIS) There are a number of different types of anti-malaria tablets available. Choosing one depends both upon the particular area being visited, and your own medical history. Within South Africa's borders the recommended tablets are mefloquine (mefliam) or doxycycline as being the most effective. Both these drugs require a prescription. Mefloquine is taken in adult dosage of one tablet per week. This should be commenced at least one week before entering the malarious area and continued for four weeks after leaving the area. Mefloquine is best taken at night after a meal, and with liquids. Doxyclycline is taken in an adult dosage of 100mg per day, starting a day or two before entering a malarious area. Like mefloquine it should be taken for four weeks after return. The drug should be taken after a meal, and washed down with plenty of liquid. It should be avoided in pregnancy and children. A combination of chloroquine and proguanil can be used as prophylaxis and is available without a doctor's prescription. This combination is more difficult to use than the simpler mefloquine and doxcycline regimes, and is believed to offer less protection. No method of malaria protection is one hundred percent effective, and there is still a small chance of contracting malaria despite the taking of anti-malaria medication and the adoption of personal protection methods. This does not mean that anti-malaria medication and personal protection measures should be neglected, simply that any traveller developing possible symptoms of malaria should seek medical advice despite having the prescribed precautions. MALARIA SYMPTOMS Symptoms of malaria may include a generalized body ache, tiredness, headache, sore throat, diarrhoea, and fever. It is worth emphasizing that these symptoms may not be dramatic, and can easily be mistaken for an attack of influenza or similar non-life threatening illness. Deterioration can then be sudden and dramatic, with rapid increase in the number of parasites in your bloodstream. A high swinging fever may develop, with marked shivering and dramatic perspiration. Note: If you develop any influenza like illness or fever within seven days of entering, or six months of departing a malarious area, seek immediate medical attention. Blood tests should be done to check for possible malaria infection. It may be sensible to have a second blood test done if a first test is negative, to be absolutely certain of excluding the disease. Fitness: Although none of our South African trips are particularly rigorous or strenuous, they do involve some game walks and drives over rough roads. You should have a personal supply of any special medications; a small first aid kit is a good idea. Make an effort to get into good physical condition for the trip by extending your normal exercise routine. It is important to let your travel agent know of any medical problems, allergies etc. you may have. You should have a personal supply of any special medications, which you may need; a small first aid kit is a good idea. As we are often in isolated areas where even the most simple drugs are not easily obtainable. Food and water: Change of diet, climate, and a number of other factors make some stomach upsets almost inevitable on most trips. Most seasoned travellers, will know it is all part of the experience, however it can quickly change into a serious situation if not contained immediately. While you are on tour or safari with us we take care to only eat and drink at respected establishments to minimise the risk, usually food is hygienically prepared to avoid gastro-intestinal problems. Your guide will be able to advise you on local guidelines about what and where it is safe to eat and drink. For more information kindly contact us at: info@tokologo.co.za |
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