H1N1

DON’T’T GIVE TAMIFLU TO UNDER -12 WARN RESERACHER – The Guardian London


10 August 2009 Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza that form the cornerstone of the government's fight against swine flu should not be given to children under the age of 12,

researchers said today.They called on the Department to Health to immediately reassess its pandemic flu policy after finding that side-effects from medicines such as Tamiflu could outweigh any benefit.The research, by Dr Matthew Thompson, a clinical scientist and Oxford GP, and Dr Carl Heneghan, from the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, found that in some children Tamiflu caused vomiting, which can lead to dehydration and complications.

The team said it was "inappropriate" for Tamiflu and Relenza to be given to most children with mild flu symptoms. "The downside of the harms outweigh the one-day reduction in symptomatic benefits," Heneghan said."One of the health messages going forward should be that we do not rely on Tamiflu or Relenza based on the evidence we have today.

GPs should be seeing more children to check their symptoms. Getting rid of the reliance on Tamiflu as a magic bullet is the way forward."The government has repeatedly referred to its stockpile of antivirals as one reason why people should not be overly concerned about the current pandemic.The study, a peer review of seven trials, found Tamiflu had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a child needing antibiotics.

The research comes little over a week after other research found that children given Tamiflu reported side-effects including nausea and nightmares.

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