Doubts on anti-flu drugs

Tuesday August 11th, 2009

The antiviral drugs being used to stem the spread of swine flu are probably having limited effect, researchers warned yesterday.

Anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu have no effect in preventing complications, such as asthma attacks or ear infections, in children, according to a report published by the British Medical Journal.

And they reduce the spread of the disease by just eight per cent - just one case is prevented for every 13 people treated, according to the Oxford University study.

Researcher Dr Matthew Thompson concluded that anti-virals reduced the length of a child's bout of flu by up to one and a half days.

The findings apply to what is known as seasonal flu rather than the new swine flu virus. But the researchers say it calls into question the policy of handing out large quantities of drugs.

Dr Thompson analysed four trials of flu treatment involving some 1,243 children and another three trials in which anti-viral drugs were used to try to limit the spread of flu.

The study also found that Tamiflu can cause vomiting.

He writes: "While morbidity and mortality in the current pandemic remain low, a more conservative strategy might be considered prudent, given the limited data, side effects such as vomiting, and the potential for developing resistant strains of influenza."

British Medical Journal August 10th 2009

Tags: Child Health | Flu & Viruses | Pharmaceuticals | UK News

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