Symptoms
Symptoms of malaria (why fever after travel is urgent)
You take prevention so you never get these symptoms. If they appear during travel or for months after, seek emergency care and mention malaria even if you took tablets.
Treatments
Malaria Tablets Online
Order malaria tablets online after a travel consultation. A UK-registered clinician matches prophylaxis to your itinerary, with discreet UK delivery if suitable.
Introduction
Treatment overview
Malaria is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes in parts of the tropics. Prevention uses bite avoidance plus, for many trips, prescription chemoprophylaxis matched to the destination.
When this travel service opens, we will review suitable tablets after a travel-health consultation. This is not treatment of suspected malaria — fever after travel is an emergency.
The condition
What is malaria prevention?
Malaria is a potentially fatal infection caused by Plasmodium parasites, spread by Anopheles mosquito bites in parts of Africa, Asia, Latin America and other tropical regions. Prevention for travellers combines bite avoidance with, for many itineraries, prescription chemoprophylaxis matched to the destination, season and the traveller’s health.
No tablet is 100% effective. Bite prevention (repellent containing DEET or picaridin, covered skin at dusk and dawn, insecticide-treated nets) still matters. Fever during or after travel to a risk area is a medical emergency — say where you have been. This page is about prevention, not about treating suspected malaria at home.
Private Pharmacy Care may review suitable tablets after a travel-health consultation when this service is open. A clinician decides the regimen. Completing a form does not guarantee a prescription. Yellow fever vaccination and a full travel-clinic schedule are separate. Always read the patient information leaflet and continue tablets after you return home for the full advised period.
Causes
Causes of malaria risk
Risk depends on the parasite species in that region, the season, altitude, urban versus rural stay, and how you spend evenings. Last year’s tablets for a different country may be wrong this year.
Products
Available products
Benefits
Benefits and uses
The right tablets depend on the country, season, length of stay, pregnancy, and other medicines. No tablet is 100% — bite prevention still matters.
Destination-matched prevention
Regimens differ for Africa, Asia, and other regions.
Start-before-travel timing
Some tablets begin days or weeks before departure.
Bite-avoidance advice
Repellent, covered skin, and nets reduce risk alongside tablets.
What to do if you get fever
Urgent medical care, not another private form, if you are unwell during or after travel.
Eligibility
Eligibility
Prevention is for travellers to risk areas who can complete a course. Pregnant travellers and people with epilepsy, psychiatric history, or psoriasis may be limited in which drugs they can use.
May be suitable if
- You are travelling to a malaria-risk area and know the itinerary
- You can start tablets before travel and continue after return as directed
- You will use repellent and nets as well
- You can list medical conditions and medicines
May not be suitable if
- Fever now after tropical travel — seek emergency care and mention malaria
- You need yellow fever or a full travel-clinic vaccine schedule today
- A contraindication to all suitable prophylactics for your route
- You want tablets “just in case” for a no-risk destination
A clinician decides whether treatment is appropriate. Completing a consultation does not guarantee a prescription.
Start a consultation
Ready to check if Malaria prevention is right for you?
Start a confidential consultation. If you already have fever after travel, seek emergency NHS care now.
- UK-registered clinician review
- Confidential online consultation
- Discreet UK delivery
How it works
How it works
Prophylactic antimalarials kill the parasite at stages of its life cycle. Duration after leaving the risk area is essential — stopping early is a common reason for infection.
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Complete a consultation
Answer a short, confidential questionnaire about your symptoms, medical history and current medicines.
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Clinician review
A UK-registered clinician reviews your answers to check the treatment is safe and appropriate for you.
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Dispensing and delivery
If a prescription is issued, our pharmacy dispenses the medicine and sends it in discreet UK packaging.
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Support if you need it
Questions after you start treatment? Contact the team and we will help you with next steps.
Safety
Safety information
Malaria can kill. Fever during or for months after travel needs urgent assessment.
Some antimalarials affect mood, sleep, or the skin — we will match the drug to you.
- Tell us about psychiatric history, epilepsy, psoriasis, and pregnancy.
- Continue the course after you get home for the full advised period.
- Seek A&E care for fever after tropical travel.
- Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with a medicine. This page is general information and is not a substitute for personalised clinical advice.
Side effects
Side effects
Vivid dreams, nausea, and photosensitivity depend on the drug chosen.
- Nausea Take with food if the leaflet allows.
- Sleep disturbance or vivid dreams More associated with some regimens. Tell us if mood changes.
- Sun sensitivity Use high SPF with certain medicines.
- Headache Usually mild. Seek care if you also have fever — that may be malaria, not a side effect.
Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with a medicine. This page is general information and is not a substitute for personalised clinical advice.
Using treatment
How to take or use the treatment
Always follow the patient information leaflet for start dates, food, and how long to continue after travel. The steps below are general.
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Start before you enter the risk area
Some regimens begin the day before; mefloquine is often started 2 to 3 weeks before so you can check you tolerate it. Do not wait until you land.
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Take it with food if the leaflet allows
Atovaquone–proguanil is taken with food or a milky drink to aid absorption. Doxycycline needs a full glass of water, upright, and sun protection.
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Continue after you get home
Set reminders for the post-travel period. Missing those doses is a common preventable failure.
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Use bite prevention every evening
Tablets are not an excuse to skip repellent. Seek care for fever rather than taking extra antimalarials you bought abroad of uncertain quality.
Safety netting
When to seek medical advice
Vivid dreams or mild nausea can occur with some tablets. Fever after travel is never “just jet lag” until malaria has been considered.
Seek urgent help (A&E) if
- Fever, confusion, collapse, or severe vomiting during or after travel to a malaria area — go to A&E and mention malaria and your itinerary.
- Jaundice, fitting, or difficulty breathing after tropical travel — emergency care.
- Severe psychiatric symptoms or thoughts of self-harm on mefloquine — stop the medicine and seek urgent medical help (go to A&E if you are in immediate danger).
- Severe allergic reaction to a tablet — go to A&E.
Contact a clinician or NHS 111 if
- You travel soon — use a travel clinic or GP now if this private service is not open yet; last-minute regimens still need a proper destination check.
- Mood change, sleep disturbance, or a severe rash on prophylaxis — contact a clinician; a switch may be needed before you fly.
- You are pregnant, trying to conceive, or taking epilepsy or psychiatric medicines — do not guess a tablet from a forum.
- You also need vaccines or a yellow-fever certificate — book a travel clinic; malaria tablets do not replace those.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Tap a question to see the answer. If you still need help, our team is ready to assist.
Is this service available now?
Yes. Start an online consultation. Use a travel clinic or GP well before you fly if you travel soon.
Do I still need vaccines?
Often yes. Malaria tablets are not a substitute for recommended travel vaccines.
Can I buy tablets abroad instead?
Quality varies. It is safer to obtain a UK-appropriate regimen before you travel.
What if I get a fever in the tropics?
Get medical care immediately and say where you have been. Do not wait to finish a holiday.
Why choose us
Why choose Private Pharmacy Care?
A regulated UK pharmacy service with clinician review, discreet delivery and support if you have questions after treatment is supplied.
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UK-registered clinicians
Every request is reviewed by a UK-registered clinician before a medicine can be prescribed.
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Confidential consultations
Complete a private questionnaire from home. Your information is used to check that treatment is safe and appropriate.
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Discreet UK dispensing
If a prescription is issued, our pharmacy dispenses it and sends it in plain packaging.
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Clear safety checks
We ask about your symptoms, medical history and other medicines. Completing a form does not guarantee a prescription.
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Support after you order
Questions about side effects or how to take a medicine? Contact the team and we will help you with next steps.
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Regulated pharmacy care
Private Pharmacy Care is a UK pharmacy service. Named clinicians and public register details are listed on our clinical team page.
Sources
References and medical sources
This page is general information for UK patients. It is not a substitute for the patient information leaflet or personalised clinical advice.
- NHS: Malaria Patient-facing NHS guidance.
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries UK clinical reference used by healthcare professionals.
- Electronic Medicines Compendium (emc) UK Summaries of Product Characteristics and patient information leaflets.
- MHRA UK medicines regulator.
Check eligibility
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