The EU medicines and drugs commission has decided to give the OK for the manufacturing and selling of a cough syrup which has the anti bird flu drug Tamiflu in it. This medicine is specially designed for young children and would be able to be administered easily to them if a bird flu pandemic struck. For example if the bird flu pandemic hit the UK all kids up to the age of twelve could be given a spoonful of the Tamiflu syrup.  
 
The rules were previously specifying that kids may only be administered Tamiflu if they actually had bird flu symptoms. The EU medicines regulator (EMEA) has adjusted that now to allow this new procedure for Roche, makers of Tamiflu.

At present Tamiflu is available with a prescription to adults over sixty five and to kids in specified high risk categories who are older than 13 and then only if influenza is spreading around.

If a bird flu pandemic breaks out The Dept of Helath in the UK using extra-ordinary powers would be able to distribute Tamiflu as they felt fit and would not have to worry about financial considerations. They would also decide whether Tamiflu may be given to kids.

Research shows that if someone in a family gets bird flu, the drug Tamiflu can reduce the likelihood of the kids in the family catching it by more than fifty percent as well as lowering the strength and time factor of the symptoms in the kids around thirty six percent.