NOT the Majority Opinion

Big money is made when people panic and Governments bow to media pressure

A BIRD flu pandemic will not be stopped by mass stockpiling of antiviral drugs, according to an authoritative study. The review, published in The Lancet, warns there is no evidence Tamiflu, which the government is stockpiling, is effective against the virus. Dr Tom Jefferson and colleagues, of Cochrane Vaccines Field, looked at data from 50 trials on two strains of antivirals. The first, the older amantadine and rimantadine, were problematic because they can lead to resistant flu strains. The more modern Tamiflu or Relenza, should be used only in the event of a pandemic.

But Dr Jefferson said there was "no credible data" to show the drugs were effective. He said: "We do not know they are going to work. So if you use them, do not rely on them exclusively. Teach people to wash their hands, provide face masks and consider more trivial measures, such as personal hygiene, quarantine and isolation." However the Department of Health, which has stockpiled 14.6 million doses, with 1.2 million apportioned to Scotland, said it was "misleading" to say Tamiflu was ineffective. http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=95492006