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Ministers ignored Tamiflu fears
Mark Blunden17.08.09
Swine flu could develop resistance to Tamiflu because of the Government's haste in distributing the antiviral drug, according to its expert panel.
It was claimed today that ministers ignored Department of Health advisers who wanted the public to take paracetamol once it became clear the outbreak was mild.
Advisers say the Government forged ahead with mass prescription, fearing the public would be angry if they were told that millions of Tamiflu doses were being held in storage.
Professor Robert Dingwall, a member of the committee on ethical aspects of pandemic influenza, said: "It was felt ... it would simply be unacceptable to the UK population to tell them we had a huge stockpile of drugs but they were not going to be made available."
He said there were talks with the DoH and Health Protection Agency about whether to advise people to treat themselves with paracetamol and ibuprofen.
The panel, set up at the request of the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, decided to offer antivirals to at-risk patients or those with underlying conditions. It also wanted to Government to explain that there was no cure for flu.
Yesterday one of Britain's most respected flu experts called for the national swine flu helpline to be shut amid fears that Tamiflu could become "useless" by the autumn.
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor at Aberdeen University, said: "I am concerned about the vast amount of Tamiflu going out almost unregulated.
"We are increasing the possibility that the flu will become resistant sooner or later. At the moment there is no desperate need for Tamiflu."
A DoH spokeswoman said: "There is still doubt about how swine flu affects people - a safety-first approach is the best approach. This means offering antivirals when required."
Reader views (4)
"It was felt ... it would simply be unacceptable to the UK population to tell them we had a huge stockpile of drugs but they were not going to be made available."
oh well, i don't really know what everyone expected... This is what happens when you create a monster (Big medical corporations) and then feed that monster . . .
Too bad the people making Tamiflu have government wrapped around thier little fingers
- Zaphod, Orions belt
So now it's official. They've spent tens (hundreds? )of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on a drug that might at best shorten the duration of mild flu by a day or two. In so doing, they've risked creating a drug-resistant virus, which may yet mutate into a deadly strain for which we'll then have no effective defence. And why? In order to appear to be doing something, anything, when the wisest counsel was to do nothing.
This government is completely, utterly, irredeemably unfit for purpose. We need an election in September.
- Nigel, London
@Ralph, London, England....."WHY WAS THE GOVERNMENT NOT HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC?"
There is not one Muppet in Whitehall or Westminster who knows how to spell the word "honest".
Devious parasites who are only concerned with grabbing all they can from Joe Public.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
It has been reported for some time (years?) that Tamiflu
was ineffective against Swine flu so why was the government so keen to dish it out like confetti going out of fashion? Why was the government not honest with the public? Scores of thousands of people and children are now deeply regretting they swallowed a Tamiflu capsule and who knows how many have died as a result?
- Ralph, London, England
