Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Children Suffering From Swine Flu Should Not Be Given Tamiflu!


British researchers have conducted a study on the effectiveness of Tamiflu & its side effects.They reached the conclusion that giving Tamiflu to children who are stricken with the swine flu can actually do more harm than good.Because it leaves them sick to their stomach.

Why would anyone want to give their child a drug that will make them feel even worse? So,those researchers shared the results of their study with health officials so that they can come up with a better way to treat the swine flu.Here's more from The Telegraph:

"Children should not be given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu for swine flu because its harms outweigh any benefits, Oxford researchers have said.

They called on the Department of Health to have an urgent rethink of its current policy in the swine flu pandemic.

Their study found that Tamiflu caused vomiting in some children, which can lead to dehydration and complications.

And the drug had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a youngster needing antibiotics.

Dr Carl Henegan, a GP and expert from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, said the current policy of giving Tamiflu for mild illness was an "inappropriate strategy".

He added: "The downside of the harms outweigh the one-day reduction in symptomatic benefits."

The study comes little over a week after other research found that children given Tamiflu preventatively reported side-effects including nausea and nightmares.

Researchers analysed four studies involving children aged one to 12 taking Tamiflu or another anti-viral, Relenza.

The children were being treated for normal seasonal flu but the experts behind the research said their findings would extend to the current swine flu pandemic.

Dr Matthew Thompson, a GP and researcher at Oxford University, said: "I don't think we have got any reason to think our results would be any different."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

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