What should you know about chloroquine for malaria prevention?

Malaria is spread by infected mosquitoes and can cause fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and serious illness. Chloroquine helps prevent malaria parasites from developing, but it does not replace bite avoidance. Protection may involve long clothing, an insect repellent, screened or air-conditioned accommodation and a mosquito net when appropriate. The exact dosing schedule depends on the prescribed product and travel plan.

Book a travel health consultation well before departure so the clinician can review destinations, stopovers and activities. Take chloroquine exactly as prescribed and follow instructions about starting before travel, continuing during the trip and taking doses after leaving the risk area. Tell the clinician about pregnancy, psoriasis, eye disease, seizures, heart rhythm problems, kidney or liver conditions and all medicines. Do not use leftover tablets or someone else’s prescription.

Seek urgent medical help during or after travel for fever, chills, confusion, breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting, faintness or marked weakness. Malaria symptoms can appear after leaving a malaria area, so tell the clinician about recent travel even if you took prevention. Contact a clinician promptly for vision changes, severe mood changes, palpitations, unusual muscle weakness or a suspected medicine reaction.

Ask whether chloroquine works for every place on your itinerary, when to begin and stop it, what to do after a missed dose, and which side effects need attention. Confirm whether it interacts with your regular medicines and how to combine it with mosquito-bite prevention.