'Don't give Tamiflu to under-12s'
Swine flu drug and the similar Relenza medication can have side-effects that outweigh benefits, studies show 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...
Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science
More from The Guardian - Science
Related
- Stanford research assesses use of Tamiflu, Relenza to prevent fluMon, 3 Aug 2009, 17:34:13 EDT
- Fate and effects of the drug Tamiflu in the environmentThu, 27 Nov 2008, 6:03:54 EST
- Pregnant women at high risk of complications from H1N1 influenzaMon, 15 Jun 2009, 15:43:54 EDT
- Study: Excessive use of antiviral drugs could aid deadly fluWed, 7 Jan 2009, 13:17:36 EST
- Major study of opiate use in children's hospitals provides simple steps to alleviate harmMon, 6 Oct 2008, 4:35:24 EDT