Swine Flu Anti-virals and Children

Research has shown that anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza can cause more negative side-effects in children than the symptoms of the disease they are supposed to prevent.

The side-effects can be quite severe resulting in vomiting and dehydration which can result in other complications. But anti-virals only work if administered early during the onset of flu and only shorten the duration of disease by a day. The work in the British Medical Journal did their study on the normal seasonal flu but say that the results of the study could just easily be applied to swine flu.

This evidence flies against the general policy of giving anti-viral drugs to children. The drugs are the first line of defence against swine flu until vaccines become available in September.

But shouldn’t all this have been investigated beforehand? It doesn’t make sense; antiviral drugs have been around for years why haven’t clinical trials established that they are more damaging to children than the symptoms they are supposed to alleviate? Again poor planning and an eagerness to seem as if something is been done is clouding the authorities capacity to make sure everything is alright.

For more information visit:
http://www.swine-flu-facts.org/

The Rush for Swine Flu Vaccines

The swine flu situation is becoming urgent and so the race for the vaccines has become more intense and more urgent. The promise for an early September release now seems very unlikely now.

The race for a new vaccine began in earnest in April when institutes in the UK, Japan and the US began work to produce a ‘seed strain’.

The reconstructed virus created after using reverse genetics techniques, will be safe for humans and will be able to trigger an immune response that will protect people against swine flu disease.
But some countries need the vaccine... now. The US, the UK, New Zealand Chile and Australia seem to be suffering more from swine flu than the rest of the world and are pressing for the vaccines to go through clinical trials.

For more information go to:
http://www.swine-flu-facts.org/