Tamiflu has been the main stockpiled drug to be used for treatment and prevention of pandemic influenza. Countries like India, China, Brazil already already ordered millions of doges of Tamiflu drug. But they don't know they are just sitting on billions of stockpiled useless drug against H1N1 prevention.
As latest case swine flu - a form of influenza Type A, subtype H1N1 - is capable of not only developing drug resistance but also spreading between humans in that resistant form, said Dr. Arthur Reingold, professor at UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
The World Health Organization identified the teenager's virus as Tamiflu resistant Tuesday, one of three cases the organization has identified in the past two weeks.
What is worrying some is that one of the cases of resistance occurred in a woman in Hong Kong who had not been treated with the drug. In the other two cases, the patients had been given the drug as a preventive measure, according to Dr. Keiji Fukuda of WHO.
All of this makes predicting what influenza will do a "dangerous game," according to Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health.
As latest case swine flu - a form of influenza Type A, subtype H1N1 - is capable of not only developing drug resistance but also spreading between humans in that resistant form, said Dr. Arthur Reingold, professor at UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
The World Health Organization identified the teenager's virus as Tamiflu resistant Tuesday, one of three cases the organization has identified in the past two weeks.
What is worrying some is that one of the cases of resistance occurred in a woman in Hong Kong who had not been treated with the drug. In the other two cases, the patients had been given the drug as a preventive measure, according to Dr. Keiji Fukuda of WHO.
All of this makes predicting what influenza will do a "dangerous game," according to Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Even if it turns out that a resistant strain has been transmitted from one person to another, "it could be an unlucky, one-off event, and we need to watch and see how much more it spreads.
And even if that's not so, it will take a while for resistance to become widespread, Lipsitch said.
"The use of oseltamivir will continue to have benefits for quite a while, because there are so many more drug-sensitive cases out there than drug-resistant ones," he said, "and we would expect it to be months at least -- maybe more -- before a resistant strain became a majority of cases."
Conclusion : Say "NO" to preventive vaccination !
Source : ABC News
And even if that's not so, it will take a while for resistance to become widespread, Lipsitch said.
"The use of oseltamivir will continue to have benefits for quite a while, because there are so many more drug-sensitive cases out there than drug-resistant ones," he said, "and we would expect it to be months at least -- maybe more -- before a resistant strain became a majority of cases."
Conclusion : Say "NO" to preventive vaccination !
Source : ABC News
3 comments:
Tamiflu Resistant Novel H1N1 in Saskatchewan Raises Concerns.
As a pharmacist. I know about Tamiflu.
Tamiflu is a preventative medication.
I dont think it specifically targets Swine Flu and it is very expensive. Most insurance companies will not cover the medication We have boxes of Tamiflu that are just sitting on our shelf. I doubt that this medicaton really helps in preventing anyone from just getting even seasonal Flu. I have seen people take it many times and it was not effective. But the experts seem to think it does. It might be good to use as an added measure of safety in those people who are at more risk of getting the Seasonal Flu.
Correction to prior Comment.
Tamiflu is not a preventative medication. It is used to reduce the number of days that you have the flu once you contract it. As I said earlier. It is expensive. Most insurance companies wont cover it. It don't think it will target the Swine Flu virus specifically. And It has not made a difference in people who have bought it to help even the with seasonal Flu. But experts say that it does work. So it might help in those people who are in a higher risk category who have the Flu. Remember that it has to be taken soon after symptoms occur. We have boxes of Tamiflu on our shelf in the pharmacy, because it is very expensive and most people can not afford it.
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