They noted that the first 48 hours are crucial for Tamiflu...

New research done on Tamiflu has shown that it works far better if it is given to child patients in the first 24 hours of an influenza virus appearing when compared to the next 24 hours.

The research that was done by the drug company Roche (who manufacture Tamiflu) along with researchers from the University of Alabama and the Primary Physicians Research of Pittsburgh saw great improvements in the health of children who were given the Tamiflu drug at that very early stage. They noted that the first 48 hours are crucial for Tamiflu to be effective and in that the first 24 hours are the best time to be administered the influenza drug. They noted that children who were given Tamiflu in the first 24 hours had a 34 percent reduction in the length of the flu illness compared to only a 20 percent reduction in those given the Tamiflu in the next 24 hours.

In all nearly 700 kids between the ages of one and twelve years old were examined for this study in different parts of America and Canada. The research will make interesting reading for those people responsible for controlling a possible bird flu pandemic in different parts of the world. The World Health Organisation which has organised special teams of doctors and health experts to fly to different parts of the world to help with bird flu outbreaks in humans should be conscious of the fact that speed will be of the essence in getting the Tamiflu drug to infected people.

The pharmaceutical company Roche has donated millions of pounds worth of Tamiflu to the World Health Organisation and has promised to deliver it to any area of the world should the need arise. Tamiflu is considered to be by the World Health Organisation the most effective drug to beat a human outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu virus and countries all over the world have stocked up with it.