AVIAN FLU UPDATE:
NORTH AMERICAN sales of the drug oseltamivir have more than tripled in recent months — a trend seen by public health experts as evidence that individuals are stockpiling the once little-used antiviral as a hedge against a possible flu pandemic.
With similar reports emerging in other countries as well, a leading advocate for pandemic preparedness is concerned that public demand could soon outstrip the limited global supply. . . .
Canadian Tamiflu sales jumped to more than 76,000 prescriptions in the 12-month period ending in June, compared to 22,000 prescriptions in the entire 2004 calendar year, says IMS Health, which compiles drug sales data.
U.S. sales have surged as well, to nearly 1.7 million prescriptions in the first half of 2005 from just under 500,000 in 2004.
More here (reg. req’d):
Dr. Fred Aoki, an antiviral expert at the University of Manitoba, sees little wrong with the idea of individuals putting aside a cache of antivirals, as long as they learn how to properly use the drugs, which he believes are very safe.
“It’s a management strategy. It’s a health-care approach that isn’t unique,” says Aoki, noting a number of prescription drugs are given to patients on an as-needed basis, such as antiviral creams for cold sores and nitroglycerin for angina.
Oseltamivir blocks flu viruses from spreading throughout the respiratory tract.
If started early — within 48 hours of symptom onset — the drug can cut the length and severity of a bout of regular flu.
Lab testing suggests it is effective against all subtypes of influenza. But to date there are few data on its performance in human cases of H5N1.
(Via Newsbeat 1). People have been emailing me asking what to do in response to the avian flu reports. “Nothing, yet,” is probably the best answer — it’s the public health people who need to be getting their act together at this point — but there’s probably no harm (other than the financial variety) in asking a doctor for a prescription, and getting it filled, now. And to the extent that this causes production to be ramped up in advance of an outbreak, it might do some small good.
The real solution, of course, is to work on technologies for rapid development, production, and distribution of vaccines. Because regardless of whether the avian flu threat materializes or not, a flu pandemic is a near-certainty sooner or later, and so are outbreaks of other diseases yet unknown.