Tamiflu effectiveness is questioned

The effectiveness of the swine flu antiviral Tamiflu is being questioned amid disarray over government plans to inoculate more than three million young children against the bug.

Research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found the antiviral could cut the length of time people have symptoms by about a day, but said there was no clear evidence that it prevented complications like pneumonia.

It comes after the Government and GPs failed to reach an agreement on the swine flu vaccination programme for under-fives, with health visitors and district nurses now set to be asked by local NHS managers to step in.

The BMJ research has questioned the validity of research from Roche, the pharmaceutical giant that makes Tamiflu.

More than a million courses of antivirals including Tamiflu have been given out to people across Britain since the start of the swine flu pandemic.

A review of 20 existing studies was carried out by a team led by experts from the Cochrane Collaboration, which last reviewed the evidence in 2005.

Their updated study found Tamiflu "did not reduce influenza-related lower respiratory tract complications".

The drug was found to induce nausea while evidence of adverse reactions to the drug were "possibly under-reported", they said.

Tamiflu was effective in treating people preventatively after they had come into contact with somebody who was infected, and shortened the length of symptoms in those with swine flu, it was found.

But the study criticised some of the evidence available and said Roche had not been able to "unconditionally" provide the information needed. As a result, the team dropped eight trials that were included in their earlier review because they were unable to independently verify the findings.


Well my youngest had tamiflu but in July as she had swine flu and we had no problems with it

i had swine flu myself,really, i got it from my baby sis who got it when dad took her to hospital for her weekly test, but we had no problem at all, just high temp and vomiting all the day.

i dont know y swine flu gets some ppl and kill them while other ppl get it as regular flu

I have swine flu at the moment. But not serious case. I vomit like twice a day

Swine flu has only killed people with underlying medical problems so the immune system is already weak so can't fight the virus.
I had swine flu same time my daughter did, just mainly had a low grade temp, shivers etc wasn't sick tho.

Oh i do hope i havn't got this... i have a weak immune system (however you spell it) due to Kidney Disease... past 3 days i've had constand headache, achy muscles, really sore throat, nausea as well aas gettin hot n cold flushes.

I don't know what's up with me - & i know your not supposed to go the doctors if you think you have swine flu but i dunno what i've got & i don't trust a person over the phone judgin what i have so im off to doctors in 2 hours... tissues will be with me so i keep the germs to meself but yh i do hope it nothing serious.

Hope its not swine flu Ian and that your feeling better soon.
Have you not been given the jab for swine flu yet as i would guess your on the high risk list, my sister is as she only has one kidney.

Get well soon Ian. Anyways, the HIV virus attacks your T-cells(Immune system cells) So other viruss can get through. But the only way to catchHIV is to get sombodys fluids on yours

last part of your post is uncalled for and may offend people i recommend you edit it or i will......and as i posted in the news forum watch what your adding to a topic..... as i know if i have to add a warning to your account it will be the 3 day ban from the site.

Dunno what HIV has to do with this topic anyway - & i do hope your not suggesting anything... cuz i assure you i very clean!

And Steph - the reason i prob aint had it is cuz i moved doctors then moved back again & my patient records take a while to come through... but i doubt that's even the case as my Kidney Disease is "controlled" as i dont take tablets anymore so maybe they think i don't need it i not sure but i know i still lose protien & blood as i see a specialist every few month & i supposed to be goin back on tablets but seein as ive moved back here i dunno whats happening yet.

Anyway i went doctors... got there, told the receptionist i had an appointment & she goes not here you don't... she said we have 2 surgerys & your appointment is for our other one which is like much further away then i can get to, but the point is i rang the number for that surgery as thats the one i usually go to so it kind of naffed me off a bit specially when i cudda just stayed in & not make myself feel any worse, so yh was a waste of time... so i bought some soothers for me throat then came home put some vix on & took a paracetamol, just gonna get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water & hopefully everything will be ok.

And that my ramble for today!

Coldwater i warned you to edit your last post.....HIV is a serious and like Ian said i do hope you not suggesting anything....
i suggest you clear your name on this one abit.....

Ian best bet would be to ring the doctors your with now and guess up whether your meant to be having it or not, i would guess that your still on the high risk whether its controlled or not....my sister doesn't have to take anything for her having only one kidney but an infection can put her in hospital....and has to have the normal flu jab every year.

Thats stupid about the doctors, surely they should well you which place its with.
Well def hope your feeling better soon...eat lots of oranges vitamin c from them should help.

Thanks for that Steph - i took your advice, seems you were right... i rrang up just before 11 and they told me i have to have both vaccines the swinue flu & the seasonal one... so she said we have an appointment at 11:20 with the nurse to have your swine flu one... can ya make it, so i said yh & she said when uve had it make another appointment for the seasonal one.

So i've just got back from there, had to run down had 20 mins to get there... but anyway she give me my swine flu one & i said i'll go make an appointment for my other seasonal one but she said i can give you it now so i had that one there as well...

So yeah i've had both injections now. So thanks again Steph, i wouldnt of rung um up otherwise lol

your welcome...just be prepared for them to knock you off your feet with having both together, my mate had them at the same time as she's a medical student and said it really knocked it out of her.

But i know alot of the time to get things done you need to chase people about for it....done it all too many times with regards to the girls.

but glad you got it sorted

Smooth Criminal wrote:

Dunno what HIV has to do with this topic anyway - & i do hope your not suggesting anything... cuz i assure you i very clean!

HIV can come with swine flu somtimes because when medicine tries to catch it, it morphs so the medicine dont recognise it. So doctors found out HIV is morphing into swine flu and once in your body, leaving one swine flu, and the other turns back to HIV so its easier to catch

Steph wrote:

your welcome...just be prepared for them to knock you off your feet with having both together, my mate had them at the same time as she's a medical student and said it really knocked it out of her.

But i know alot of the time to get things done you need to chase people about for it....done it all too many times with regards to the girls.

but glad you got it sorted

Havnt had any problems with the arm were i got my normail flu one but the other arm were i had my swine flu one i havnt been able to move my arm for 3 days as its been aching & if i try n move it it hurts.... it's startin to get better now though i can move it but my muscle still hurts.

But apart from that i been okay, i feel better within myself.