Rabies & Other risks in the mission
Dogs and Rabies vaccine: The mission department recommends that your missionary get vaccinated for rabies prior to their service. We very strongly agree. If a missionary is bitten, it is difficult for us to locate the vaccine because it is often not available in Peru. Dogs are free to roam as they please and thankfully, most are friendly. However, our missionaries often get bitten. Prior to the mission, the rabies vaccine can be very expensive or hard to find. If you find this to be the case, please ask for it when you enter the MTC. The missionary portal under vaccinations says the following:
Rabies: Based on the prevalence of rabies in your mission country, we strongly recommend that you receive the rabies vaccination. Some insurance companies will cover the vaccine at no charge. If your insurance covers it, we recommend that you receive the vaccine before entering the MTC. If your insurance doesn’t not cover it, the two-shot pre-exposure series will be administered (about a week apart) while you are in the MTC.
The sun: With our epic clear skies, high elevations, and close proximity to the equator, the sun is extremely fierce here. All missionaries are encouraged to use sunscreen daily and to wear hats and sunglasses whenever they are outside. We are not picky of the style as long as it is not a baseball cap.
Mosquitos & Dengue Fever: Have you seen in the news about the Dengue Fever outbreak here in Peru? You may have seen some travel advisories issued as well. Peru is a very large country with many climates, and thankfully, Dengue has not affected our mission at all. Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes and most people who get it feel like they have the flu for about 4-7 days. The symptoms are treated with tylenol and only 1-2% of the cases need to see a doctor because of unusual bleeding. Lucky for us, most of our mission is a desert and we have few mosquitos - especially during the dry season.
December through February is our rainy season and a time for more mosquitoes in a few of our endemic areas. These areas are mostly located on the coast and in the low altitude river valleys where there is a lot of agriculture. Places like Ilo, Mollendo, Pedregal, and Camana. For these areas, the mission tries to supply and distribute repellent with 20% DEET to all missionaries. If a missionary has an immediate need for repellent, they can personally purchase some and turn in a form with the receipt for reimburement. The form is found in the weekly bulletin and delivered weekly to the missionaries.
The mission department recommends that the missionaries wash their clothes with permitherin as a repellent, however this is not available in Southern Peru, nor are window screens. We have distributed bed nets for sleeping as well as fans.
