Although vaccines or chemoprophylactic drugs are available against important vector-borne diseases such as yellow fever and malaria, travelers still should be advised to use repellents and other general protective measures against biting arthropods.
The effectiveness of malaria chemoprophylaxis is variable, depending on patterns of drug resistance and compliance with medication, and no similar preventive measures exist for other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue or chikungunya. For many vector-borne diseases, no specific preventives are available.
The number of insect repellents available has been increasing, with several ac-tive ingredients now registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, for travel to areas where the intensity of disease-transmitting vectors is high, it may be wise to use a product containing DEET or picaridin rather than an herbal product. DEET is the most studied repellent and travelers (military and civilian) have had the most experience with it.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention