How nessesary is to take a malaria treatment if you are going to Delhi, Japur, Agra, Veranasi and Nepal? in May/June. Which treatment would be the best? Side efects? Lenght?
Thanks

If you have health insurance, you should go to a "travel clinic". Where they tell you about what diseases the country you're going to have and recommend the immunization & what-not. I went there before my trip to Brazil/Argentina and got good information from them. Although, as you would expect, they'll most likely tell you to take all the immunizations. Use your judgement in what is necessary and what's not after listening to their advice.

Do your research before you go to a travel clinic. www.cdc.gov/travel

Avoid Larium, many people have bad reactions. I've seen firsthand individuals go from happy and healthy to sickly and neurotic. Do some research and you'll find lots of negative info.

If you can afford Malarone it tends to have the least side affects. Some insurance policies will cover the cost.

Unless you are traveling exclusively above the 7500 foot elevation, you will be in a malaria zone. By all means visit a travel clinic, there are other jabs strongly advised for India. Polio boosters, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), typhoid, tetanus, hep a & b, are the majors.

Some people get rabies shots. I don't. Travel clinics are likely to give differing opinions. Japanese Encephalitis is recommended based on your duration of visit, location.

Then there has been the rash of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya. Unfortunately no vaccine is available for these viral mosquito born ailments. Also note that malaria medication does not prevent the infection but lessens the pain and suffering.

Needless to say the most important thing you can do is avoid being bitten in the first place. Bring a mosquito net (I prefer the freestanding tent style) and use repellent. This is not optional.

I feel compelled to correct some of skatipalooza's information.

There is no "best" antimalarial for everyone. Which option is best for you depends on your individual situation. Larium causes neuro-psychiatric side effects in about 30% of the peope who take it. These effects may be as mild as excessively vivid dreams or as serious as severe depression of a psychotic episode. It has developed a bad reputation as a result, but there are some people for whom it is still teh best option. It is taken only once a week,which many consider an advantage. The majority of people who take it do so without serious side effects. Nonetheless, if you have any history of anxiety or depression, it is not for you.

Malarone is the newest of the antimalarial drugs and is very effective while having the fewst side effects of any of teh anti-malarials. It is expensive. Doxycycline is another option. Some people do get excessive sun sensitivity with it, but the vast majority can take it without that being a problem. It is cheap and effective.

A common misconception about anti-malarials is repeated by the above poster "Also note that malaria medication does not prevent the infection but lessens the pain and suffering." This is NOT true, but it gets oft repeated, especially since this misinformation gets printed in all of the Lonely planet guides. Anti-malarial medication cannot prevent a malaria-carrying mosquito from biting you and injecting the malarial parasites into your bloodstream. It prevents the malarial parasite from multiplying and causing malaria. Each of the anti-malairla medications works slightly differently, but all kill the parasite before it causes disease. All of these anti-malarials are more than 95% effective. It is true that no medication of any kind is 100% effective, but these are very effective medications.