Which drugs are recommended in children travelling to areas endemic with malaria?
• Always seek specialist advice if there is doubt about which drugs to prescribe for children. • A combination of chloroquine and proguanil is suitable for children in some areas with low or absent Plasmodium resistance to chloroquine. • Mefloquine or Malarone® (atovaquone-proguanil) may be suitable in areas with a high risk of chloroquine-resistance P. falciparum. However: • Mefloquine is unsuitable for children weighing less than 5 kg. • Malarone® is unsuitable for children weighing less than 11 kg. • Doxycycline is contraindicated in children aged under 12 years. • Advise that administration of antimalarial drugs and compliance with regimens is likely to be more difficult in children.
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