Controversy Over Swine Flu Anti-Viral Vaccination

The vast majority of children under twelve should not be given anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza, according to a group of researchers who say the current government guidance is flawed. The Department of Health is not changing its official advice, but a growing number of GP's are saying the downsides to taking the drugs often outweigh the benefits.

Five per cent of children who take them end up vomiting seriously - and that poses a significant risk for children who can't be relied upon to drink enough fluids to replace what they lose. Sever dehydration can cause death quickly.

It is a calculation based on this strain of swine flu - which is judged for most people to be mild. If there was a more serious strain of flu however, putting more lives at risk, the benefits might outweigh the risks. Of course this raises all sorts of questions about whether this was discussed before the Tamiflu strategy was put in place, and whether the anti-virals have been given to us to avoid the outrage that might have resulted had they said "most people don't need anti-virals so we aren't going to buy them".

The British Medical Journal research shows Tamiflu and Relenza rarely prevent complications in children with seasonal flu, yet carry side effects. Although they did not test this in the current swine flu pandemic, the authors say these drugs are unlikely to help children who catch the H1N1 virus.

The government has stuck by its policy of offering them to anyone infected. The Department of Health is quoted as saying, a "safety-first approach" of offering antivirals to everyone remained a sensible and responsible way forward, but promised to keep the policy under review.

While the latest study shows that antivirals can shorten the duration of normal seasonal flu in children by up to a day and a half, it also shows that they have little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of children needing antibiotics.

But the drugs can cause unpleasant side effects, such as vomiting with Tamiflu. There is also the risk that widespread use of the drugs will mean the virus will develop resistance to them.

Source: Channel 4 News / BBC News

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