Tonight:
4°c
Latest advice: Don't give Tamiflu to under thirteens
Anna Davis and Sophie Goodchild10 Aug 2009
Children should not be given the two main drugs used to treat swine flu because the side-effects outweigh the benefits, experts warned today.
Oxford University researchers said Tamiflu and Relenza could do more harm than good despite being promoted as “magic bullets” against the pandemic.
They said the Government was guilty of having a policy “based on hysteria”. The NHS should ditch advice to give children the drugs and said parents should go to their GPs, not use the flu website and phoneline.
They spoke out as the British Medical Journal published their research showing that the antiviral drugs did not prevent complications in children with flu, only had a marginal effect on reducing its transmission and caused side-effects including vomiting.
Researchers from the Oxford University Department of Primary Health Care analysed the results of seven clinical trials in children aged one to 12. They said the information would have been available to the Government before it set up the national flu hotline, which was designed to make it easier for people to get hold of the drugs.
The studies involved seasonal flu but the researchers said the conclusions also applied to swine flu.
Dr Carl Heneghan, a clinical lecturer and GP involved in the study, said: “In this mild outbreak the strategy of giving out this treatment is inappropriate. In 20 children, one child will vomit.
“The harm outweighs the benefit. There are probably no benefits for children to take Tamiflu. I don't see why it should be treated differently from other mild respiratory illnesses.
“We just don't know if Tamiflu will reduce the risk of children developing complications from swine flu. The Government's policy has been based on hysteria and should change now.”
Dr Matthew Thompson from the University of Oxford said parents should discuss their children's illness with their GP instead of phoning the swine flu hotline.
He said: “For children between one and 12 GPs should weigh up the risks with parents. In children with a mild illness a more conservative strategy such as bringing the fever down may be more appropriate.”
Current government guidance is that GPs should give the drug to anyone who shows symptoms, including children.
But Dr Richard Halvorsen, who runs a practice in Holborn, said antivirals should be used as a last resort.
He said: “It's always been surprising we've been encouraged to offer Tamiflu to virtually all patients when all the time we knew effectiveness was extremely limited. It's put GPs in a difficult position.”
The Government insisted Tamiflu should still be prescribed for patients with severe symptoms. A spokeswoman said: “The BMJ review is based on seasonal flu and not swine flu. As the authors note, the extent to which the findings can be applied to the current pandemic is questionable — past pandemics have hit younger people hardest.
“While there is doubt about how swine flu affects children, we believe a safety-first approach of offering antivirals to everyone remains a sensible and responsible way forward. For those who experience severe symptoms, the best scientific advice tells us that Tamiflu should still be taken as soon as possible — and to suggest otherwise is potentially dangerous.”
Reader views (13)
Excuse me, but if you think that Influenza doesn't kill, you're wrong. My sister died last Friday, and the virus was confirmed today. Take any precaution you can, and stop saying it's a government strategy. It kills people.
- Nadia, Atizapan, Mexico, 13/08/2009 05:06
Report abuse
Surely not another UK "government" blunder.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 10/08/2009 20:01
Report abuse
Great. And this comes out 3 weeks after we "had" to give our 21 month old a 5-day course of Tamiflu.... because he is part of the "at risk" population....
when will this country make so-called informed decisions when it concerns the lives of others???
- Chris, London, but currently on hols in France..., 10/08/2009 19:47
Report abuse
The age limit is incorrect, TAMIFLU is BANNED in Japan for all teenagers and children because it provokes psychiatric reactions as well as a host of other reactions. The reason for this is the drug requires specific pathways in the liver, most children have yet to develop them, as for adults they are also at risk if they do not have he appropriate genetic capacity which can be easily tested via your GP request pharmacogenomic service. ROCHE know all about this test they designed it first as well as manufacturing TAMIFLU this is deliberate negligence by failing to notify public. Your regulator is responsible for this, they also knew and if you read the fine print in the product information you will see this warning. Be very careful taking this drug and even more so with your teenagers and children it could result in a very nasty toxic reactions resulting in death.
- Nicola, melbourne australia, 10/08/2009 19:41
Report abuse
For mild flu, Tamiflu knocks a day or two off the duration. For serious flu, it can make the difference between recovering and dying. The problem is that for best results one must take it before anyone knows how bad your flu is going to get, and flu always affects a few people much worse than the majority.
At present this flu is mild, so that if you are a healthy person and not in any at-risk group, it may be rational to take your chances with the flu, rather than with the drug. Either way the risk of death is very small. For almost all cases, you're trading unpleasant but (probably!) harmless Tamiflu side-effects against a couple of days less in bed.
If this flu mutates into anything deadlier, Tamiflu will be a major life-saver and no-one will care about the side effects. Likewise if you are in an at-risk group. Personally I think that the NHS should have saved a lot of money and held Tamiflu in reserve against a future deadlier flu, for all but the at-risk groups.
- Nigel, London, 10/08/2009 19:24
Report abuse
It is unbelievable that 30% of Swine Flu victims are children, and this in the summer.
I grew up in the 1950's when houses were damp, and central heating was a thing of the future yet I cannot remember children getting flu.
Most of this 'Swine Flu' is just mass hysteria.
Once an illness is mentioned on television, it becomes an epidemic, remember the Aids hysteria when millions were going to die.
Sadly for Sky news, they didn't!
- John Jones, Westminster, 10/08/2009 18:17
Report abuse
I went down with swine flu last Monday. Despite beginning to feel better by Tuesday pm, the pharmacist insisted I should take tamiflu anyway. Which I did, taking the final dose this morning. The side effects have been dreadful, far worse than the flu itself, leaving me in bed for twice as long as the flu did. Mainly, it's messed with my head, leaving me dizzy and nauseous for most of the week and incapable of clear thinking. DO NOT TAKE TAMIFLU is my advice. Or at least, google for side effects so you can make an informed decision. I didn't and seriously regret it.
- Jane, London, 10/08/2009 16:19
Report abuse
I've had Swine Flu. It really wasn't that awful. The first 48 hours were the worst which I mostly spent in bed running a temperature, and then a few more days feeling unwell.
At the time I didn't realise it was swine flu, and I managed to make it back into work four days after the symptoms first appeared. Obviously, if I had realised it was swine flu, I would have stayed at home a bit longer.
The press have made people believe that Tamiflu is a cure. It isn't. All it does is knock about a day off the duration of the illness, and that's about all. It doesn't 'kill' the virus, and doesn't cure the patient. For anyone who gets it, I would just suggest that they keep a large jug of water next to their bed, keep warm, and sit it out until they feel better. Its no worse than a really bad cold. And you won't die if you don't have Tamiflu
- George, London, 10/08/2009 14:46
Report abuse
Neil you may have something there.
In 1976 there was a SF outbreak in the State and Pres. Ford ordered national inoculation. As a result hundreds maybe thousand suffered from the side effects and 25 people died; many, perhaps hundreds, may have died subsequently through having the shot. Deaths from SF 1!
- Mark, South-East London, 10/08/2009 14:28
Report abuse
Let´s stay calm, people. This is all media hype and mass hysteria. Swine flu is no worse than the seasonal flu that goes around every year.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 10/08/2009 13:56
Report abuse
The deadliest diseases in the UK today are politicians and bankers; for these two terminal diseases; there is no cure, other than putting them to sleep permanently in Switzerland.
- Mickinlondon, london., 10/08/2009 13:19
Report abuse
If you think Tamiflu's bad, wait till they start filling people with the vaccine (untested, full of mercury, probably contains live virus); then, people will start dropping like flies. The vaccine is chemical warfare - don't take it!
- Neil, London, London UK, 10/08/2009 12:56
Report abuse
Cannot this lousy Labour government do anything right?
Glaxo are charging GBP6.00 for a GBP1.00 swine flu vaccine.
I wonder how many MP's and Lords have shares in Glaxo?
The UK is finished.
Amen.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK, 10/08/2009 12:36
Report abuse
