Positive Update On Recommendation For Tamiflu From NICE

The news was welcomed by the medical community

Updated guidelines coming from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom has once again given the Tamiflu influenza medication the thumbs up to treat regular flu. Along with the positive recommendation for Tamiflu, Relenza also gets an OK.

The new guidelines for the use of the Tamiflu influenza medication explain that patients who suffer from chronic liver disease or neurological illnesses should also be treated with Tamiflu if they need it. They also recommend that in cases when dealing with children the Tamiflu capsules could be opened and the powder mixed in with food to make the administration of the medication easier.

The news was welcomed by the medical community who said that if more people used Tamiflu the burden on the National Health Service which is considerable when a flu epidemic is about would be lessened.

Dr John Watkins who is the Clinical Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology from the Cardiff University Department of Primary Care and Public Health explained that regular influenza was still a “danger to our population’s health” and also to the “functioning of the NHS”.  He said that these new guidelines from the NICE would help in reducing the severity of influenza symptoms, make recovery quicker and lower the chances of patients needing to go to hospital.

As well as treating regular influenza the drug Tamiflu is also known to be the only medication to treat the deadly H5N1 strain of the flu which is commonly known as the bird flu virus.  Government health departments all around the world have stockpiles of Tamiflu just in case the H5N1 strain mutates into a form which is easily transferable between humans.

Tamiflu is a prescription medication which is made by the drug company Roche.