A total of 11.5 million people will be vaccinated over the coming months, these include people who have been placed in high risk groups and front line health and social care workers.
Even though children are 10 times more likely to contract swine flu healthy people including children will not be offered the swine flu vaccine. In America everyone between the age of 6 months and 24 has been prioritised for the vaccine. Children are thought to spread the virus rapidly, 17% of swine flu deaths in the UK are those under the age of 15.
This will be the biggest vaccination programme since small pox in 1964.
Find out more about the swine flu vaccine on our website by clicking here, Swine Flu Vaccine
Swine Flu Britain
Swine Flu
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Tamiflu leaves '1,000 patients in suffering'
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said yesterday that between 1 April and 6 August there had been 418 reports of adverse side effects to Tamiflu and a further 686 suspected cases of adverse reactions. Last week alone there were 125 reports of adverse side effects in people taking Tamiflu, although not all of them may be due to the drug, the MHRA said.
About 300,000 people have been given Tamiflu since the start of the swine-flu outbreak and anyone who fulfils the criteria of the National Pandemic Flu Service can collect the drug free of charge after answering a series of questions about their symptoms on a questionnaire completed online or over the telephone.
A spokesman for the MHRA spokesman said that both Tamiflu and Relenza are acceptably safe medicines and that most people will not suffer any side effects.
Read the full story in the Independent
www.swineflubritain.co.uk
About 300,000 people have been given Tamiflu since the start of the swine-flu outbreak and anyone who fulfils the criteria of the National Pandemic Flu Service can collect the drug free of charge after answering a series of questions about their symptoms on a questionnaire completed online or over the telephone.
A spokesman for the MHRA spokesman said that both Tamiflu and Relenza are acceptably safe medicines and that most people will not suffer any side effects.
Read the full story in the Independent
www.swineflubritain.co.uk
Monday, 10 August 2009
Tamiflu should not be given to children
Children should not be given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu for swine flu because its harms outweigh any benefits, Oxford researchers have said.
They called on the Department of Health to have an urgent rethink of its current policy in the swine flu pandemic. Their study found that Tamiflu caused vomiting in some children, which can lead to dehydration and complications.
And the drug had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a youngster needing antibiotics.
"The downside of the harms outweigh the one-day reduction in symptomatic benefits."
Read the full story
www.swineflubritain.co.uk
They called on the Department of Health to have an urgent rethink of its current policy in the swine flu pandemic. Their study found that Tamiflu caused vomiting in some children, which can lead to dehydration and complications.
And the drug had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a youngster needing antibiotics.
"The downside of the harms outweigh the one-day reduction in symptomatic benefits."
Read the full story
www.swineflubritain.co.uk
Friday, 7 August 2009
Swine Flu Cases Slowing
The latest BBC report suggests the rate of swine flu cases is falling sharply. Last week there were 30,000 reported cases compared to 110,000 the week before and 100,000 3 weeks ago.
The UK death toll stands at 40, with just over 500 people been admitted to hospital last week, down from nearly 800 the week before.
Experts are studying trends in swine flu hit countries around the world to help determine how the virus will next react. It’s predicted that there will be a surge in the number of cases through out the winter months. The increase in cases is likely to occur a few weeks after schools return from their summer break.
The department of health claim 3 quarters of the population are not worried about the swine flu pandemic. This ties in with what our online poll is saying though there has been a slight increase over the past few days
http://www.swineflubritain.co.uk/
The UK death toll stands at 40, with just over 500 people been admitted to hospital last week, down from nearly 800 the week before.
Experts are studying trends in swine flu hit countries around the world to help determine how the virus will next react. It’s predicted that there will be a surge in the number of cases through out the winter months. The increase in cases is likely to occur a few weeks after schools return from their summer break.
The department of health claim 3 quarters of the population are not worried about the swine flu pandemic. This ties in with what our online poll is saying though there has been a slight increase over the past few days
http://www.swineflubritain.co.uk/
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Swine Flu – The Latest Figures
Over the past 7 days a number of new figures have been released. In the UK the number of reported swine flu cases has slowed, increasing by just 10% to 110,000. While a 150,000 doses of anti viral treatment were given out.
Around the world reports of a new strain of swine flu resistant to anti viral treatment have been cropping up. The new strain which is resistant to anti-viral drugs has now been reported in Mexico, America, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Japan.
This comes after the world health organisation released figures that showed 300 out of the 338 people who died last week were Americans.
The virus continues spread around the globe with 168 countries now reporting cases and 1154 deaths confirmed.
http://www.swineflubritain.co.uk
Around the world reports of a new strain of swine flu resistant to anti viral treatment have been cropping up. The new strain which is resistant to anti-viral drugs has now been reported in Mexico, America, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Japan.
This comes after the world health organisation released figures that showed 300 out of the 338 people who died last week were Americans.
The virus continues spread around the globe with 168 countries now reporting cases and 1154 deaths confirmed.
http://www.swineflubritain.co.uk
Monday, 3 August 2009
Counterfeit Tamiflu
The antiviral drug ‘Tamiflu’ is a known counterfeited drug. In 2007 the UK seized half a million pounds worth of fake tamiflu and identified 18 online websites selling the drug. A major manufacturing operation was broke with 400kg of fake tamiflu confiscated, and 46 tons of raw material, though it was estimated 400kg had already been sold over the internet.
A channel 4 documentary highlighted just how easy counterfeit prescription drugs were finding their way into Britain and on occasion into main stream chemists. Many of the drugs looked identical to the originals and in some cases had been produced using industrial chemicals.
As fear over the wide spread swine flu pandemic increase there is a risk that the counterfeiters will try to take advantage of the situation. The public are advised not to purchase tamiflu online or through unregulated markets.
Identifying fake tamiflu…
• Tamiflu comes in a white cardboard box with the wording “Tamiflu® Oseltamivir 75mg” written clearly on the front with a green hexagon and the Roche logo. The right hand flap of the pack has an expiry date, batch number and, depending on the country, a manufactured date embossed into the pack. In addition the side of the pack has a distinctive logo.
• The box contains a single blister package containing 10 Tamiflu capsules, which are a distinct yellow and light grey colour. Each blister contains one capsule which can be seen through the transparent outer layer:
• Each blister is printed on the aluminium foil of the reverse side with Roche and the Roche hexagon, and the words “Tamiflu Oseltamivir 75mg”:
• The batch number and expiry date (in some countries also the manufacturing date) on the outside packaging should match the batch number and expiry date (and in some countries the manufacturing date) on the inner packaging:
• Each Tamiflu capsule is also printed with the words “Roche 75mg”.
(http://www.roche.com/med_mbtamiflu05e.pdf)
More information at Swine Flu Britain
Sean Rushforth
A channel 4 documentary highlighted just how easy counterfeit prescription drugs were finding their way into Britain and on occasion into main stream chemists. Many of the drugs looked identical to the originals and in some cases had been produced using industrial chemicals.
As fear over the wide spread swine flu pandemic increase there is a risk that the counterfeiters will try to take advantage of the situation. The public are advised not to purchase tamiflu online or through unregulated markets.
Identifying fake tamiflu…
• Tamiflu comes in a white cardboard box with the wording “Tamiflu® Oseltamivir 75mg” written clearly on the front with a green hexagon and the Roche logo. The right hand flap of the pack has an expiry date, batch number and, depending on the country, a manufactured date embossed into the pack. In addition the side of the pack has a distinctive logo.
• The box contains a single blister package containing 10 Tamiflu capsules, which are a distinct yellow and light grey colour. Each blister contains one capsule which can be seen through the transparent outer layer:
• Each blister is printed on the aluminium foil of the reverse side with Roche and the Roche hexagon, and the words “Tamiflu Oseltamivir 75mg”:
• The batch number and expiry date (in some countries also the manufacturing date) on the outside packaging should match the batch number and expiry date (and in some countries the manufacturing date) on the inner packaging:
• Each Tamiflu capsule is also printed with the words “Roche 75mg”.
(http://www.roche.com/med_mbtamiflu05e.pdf)
More information at Swine Flu Britain
Sean Rushforth
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