• Tamiflu and Children

    Date: 2010.12.28 | Category: General | Tags:

    Parents are told to vaccinate their kids every year to prevent flu, but the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic in 2009 showed clearly why flu vaccines should never be relied on totally for combating different strains of the influenza virus. Children were among the most unfortunate victims of the 2009 outbreak and now the British as well as the US governments are thinking about using Tamiflu 75mg as the first line of defense against flu in paediatric patients aged between 1-12 years. Is it a good idea?

    Tamiflu steals the show as far as antiviral flu treatment is concerned. The drug information panel on a Tamiflu pack reads that it can be prescribed for a child who has caught flu within 1-2 days. Oseltamivir can heal influenza symptoms in paediatric patients 25% faster than placebo treatment. This medicine can also be used as a preventive measure to lessen the risk of children catching flu. But some experts have expressed concerns over Tamiflu’s safety and effectiveness in preventing flu in children with existing health conditions like asthma. Also, Tamiflu has shown weak results in children who suffer from ear infections after getting infected with flu.

    The main concern with Tamiflu is that its risk factors can outweigh its benefits when used for flu prevention in paediatric patients. A study has shown that 5% children taking Tamiflu for flu prevention can have symptoms similar to that of flu. It can be very difficult to determine if those symptoms are drug after effects or actual flu symptoms.

    Tamiflu side effects can be far more dangerous to children compared to adults. Oseltamivir can cause side effects such as panic attack, hallucination, suicidal thoughts, depression, and loss of consciousness. When your kid takes this medication, always keep a firm vigil on his/her actions. If you see any unusual behaviour, immediately report it to your doctor.

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