Breaking News
1:18pm UK, Monday August 10, 2009
Children should not be treated with Tamiflu as it can be more harmful than beneficial, new research shows.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content...3/15339785.jpg The report comes from doctors studying the effects of tamiflu on children under 12
The report calls on the Department of Health to change its policy on the swine flu pandemic.
Researchers analysed studies involving children aged between one and 12 taking either Tamiflu or Relenza.
The study found that the anti-viral drug can cause vomiting, which may lead to dehydration and other complications.
Tamiflu was also found to have little or no effect when treating asthma flare-ups or ear infections.
Sky News health correspondent, Thomas Moore, said: "The manufacturers do warn about the possibility of nausea and vomiting in the information given out with Tamiflu.
"The question has to be if the right judgement was made when ordering the stockpile of the drug that the benefits outweighed the risks."
One of the report's authors, Dr Carl Henegan, said the government's policy of giving Tamiflu for mild illness was an "inappropriate strategy".
Dr Henegan and his co-author Dr Matthew Thompson advise that children with mild symptoms should be treated in the same way as with any other mild flu.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "The BMJ review is based on seasonal flu and not swine flu...the extent which the findings can be applied to the current pandemic is questionable.
"Whilst there is a doubt about how swine flu affects children, we believe a safety-first approach of offering anti-virals to everyone remains a sensible and responsible way forward."
The new research is released after a recent study which found children given tamiflu were reported to be suffering side-effects such as nausea and nightmares.
