Tamiflu - Child Side-effects

More than half of children taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu experience side-effects such as nausea and nightmares, according to a recent study.

An estimated 150,000 people with flu symptoms were prescribed the drug in the UK last week, according to figures revealed yesterday.

Studies of children attending three schools in London and one in the South West showed that 51-53 per cent had one or more side-effects from the medication, which is offered to everyone in England with swine flu symptoms.

The researchers said "likely side effects were common" and the "burden of side effects needs to be considered" when deciding on giving Tamiflu to children prophylactically, especially given that swine flu symptoms are generally mild.

Swine Flu - HIts Pregnant Women Hard

Pregnant women are four times more likely than the general population to need hospital treatment for H1N1 swine flu, data from the US suggests.

The findings from the small-scale study suggest pregnancy increases the risk of complications without speedy anti-viral treatment.

It also underlines the need to ensure pregnant women are made a top priority when a vaccine becomes available.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study appears in The Lancet.

Swine Flu - Has it peaked?

The swine flu pandemic appears to have peaked for the moment but the virus will return with "a very big surge" in the autumn, the UK's chief medical officer said today.

Sir Liam Donaldson hailed new data as proof of a "pretty firm downturn" in the number of people seeking medical help with H1N1 from a GP. "There's a possibility the virus has had its fill of us for the moment," he said.

The number of people consulting a doctor with flu-like symptoms has fallen from 155.3 for every 100,000 people to 138.2 for every 100,000. He said. "It's peaked in America, it's peaked in Mexico, it's peaked in Scotland, so why shouldn't it peak here?" About one in every 158 people in England has had flu in the current outbreak and 27 have died.

School holidays and people being away on summer breaks helped explain the apparent decline, said Donaldson, adding: "We don't anticipate it staying down for too long, because we have our own flu season coming up."

Why is swine flu affecting humans?

The swine flu virus has mutated (changed) and is now able to infect humans and transmit between them.

Swine Flu Treatment

In the UK, stocks of antiviral medicines and antibiotics are available to treat anyone who becomes ill during the current swine flu pandemic.

A new vaccine against the virus is also being developed, with the first batches expected to be delivered in the autumn.

Paracetomol

As with ordinary flu, people who come down with swine flu should take lots of rest and use standard paracetomol-based cold remedies to reduce their temperature and help relieve symptoms.

Antivirals

The antiviral medications oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are also being used throughout the UK to treat people with swine flu. Antivirals are not a cure for swine flu, but will help to:

·         - reduce the length of time you are ill by around one day,

·      r - relieve some of the symptoms, and

·      r - reduce the potential for serious complications such as pneumonia.

The UK has large stocks of Tamiflu and Relenza and there is currently enough to treat half the population. New orders of Tamiflu have recently been placed to increase UK supplies to 50m doses, enough to treat 80% of the population.

Tamiflu and Relenza are both medicines of the same type but Relenza comes as an inhaler (rather than a pill) and is recommended for use in pregnancy

Swine Flu - What Should I Do If I Think I Have Swine Flu ?

If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned that you may have swine flu the best advice is to call a doctor. They will be able to best assess your situation.

In the meantime stay at home and take Paraceatamol to relieve the flu like symptoms.

Swine Flu - Symptoms

SWINE FLU SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of swine flu are broadly the same as those of ordinary flu, but may cause more serious complications.

The typical symptoms are:

• sudden fever (a high body temperature of 38C/100.4F or above), and
• sudden cough.

Other symptoms may include:

• headache,
• tiredness, 
• chills,
• aching muscles,
• limb or joint pain,
• diarrhoea or stomach upset,
• sore throat,
• runny nose,
• sneezing, and
• loss of appetite.

Most people who have contracted swine flu recover within a week and do not suffer complications, even without being given antiviral medication.

However, experts point out that as this is a new virus, its behaviour cannot be predicted with certainty. 

Swine flu is different from seasonal flu in that most serious illnesses have been in younger age groups.

Swine Flu - Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you are in one of the high risk groups for swine flu, so it is important you read this page carefully and follow the advice to protect yourself and your baby.

This page explains why pregnant women are at greater risk from swine flu, what those risks are, the special precautions you should take and the safety information for swine flu treatments.

Why pregnant women are more at risk

In pregnancy, the immune system is naturally suppressed. This means that pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu, and if they do catch it, they are more likely to develop complications (see below).

However, it is important not to panic: your immune system still functions and the risk of complications is still very small. The majority of pregnant women will only suffer mild symptoms.

Symptoms and risks

If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms are expected to be similar to those of regular human seasonal flu. Typical symptoms are fever and a cough, and sometimes also tiredness, headache, aching muscles, runny nose, sore throat, nausea or diarrhoea.

Most pregnant women will have only mild symptoms and recover within a week. However, there is evidence from previous flu pandemics that pregnant women are more likely to develop complications from flu.

Possible complications are pneumonia (an infection of the lungs), difficulty breathing and dehydration. In pregnant women, these are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester.

If a pregnant woman develops a complication of swine flu, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance this will lead to premature labour or miscarriage. There is not yet enough information to know precisely how likely these birth risks are.

It is therefore important to be well prepared and to take precautions against swine flu.

Special precautions

If you are pregnant, you can reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel and avoiding crowds where possible.

Pregnant women should also follow the general advice outlined in the box, top right. Good hygiene is essential.

If a family member or other close contact has swine flu, your doctor may prescribe you antiviral medication (usually Relenza) as a preventative (prophylactic) measure.

If you think that you may have swine flu, call your doctor for an assessment immediately. If your doctor confirms swine flu over the phone, you will be prescribed antiviral medication to take as soon as possible (see box, left).

Unless you have swine flu symptoms, carry on attending your antenatal appointments so you can monitor the progress of your pregnancy.

Swine Flu Vaccine Swine Flu Vaccine

Swine flu vaccine

A vaccine to protect against swine flu is being developed but it is not available yet.

The first batches of vaccine are expected to be available in the autumn.

In the UK the government has ordered enough vaccine for the whole population and, when it becomes available, will focus on those at the greatest risk first.

Swine Flu - High Risk Groups

High-risk groups

Some people are more at risk of serious illness if they catch swine flu, and will need to start taking antivirals as soon as they are confirmed with the illness. On occasion, doctors may advise some high-risk patients to take antivirals before they have symptoms if someone close to them has swine flu.

The risk profile of the virus is still being studied but it is already known that the following people are particularly vulnerable:

• people with:
  - chronic lung disease,
  - chronic heart disease,
  - chronic kidney disease,
  - chronic liver disease,
  - chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease),
  - immunosuppression (whether caused  
    by disease or treatment), and
  - diabetes mellitus,
• patients who have had drug treatment for asthma in the past three years,
• pregnant women,
• people aged 65 years and older, and
• children under five years old.

Swine Flu - What is it ?

Swine flu is the common name that has been given to a new strain of influenza. It is called swine flu because it is thought to have originated in pigs, but this is not known for certain.

The most common symptoms are fever, sore throat, diarrhoea, headache, feeling generally unwell and a dry cough – in other words, symptoms very similar to seasonal influenza. Most people recover within a week, even without special treatment.

UK: Swine Flu Website Collapses

The UK's national swine flu website, which was designed to give sufferers direct access to anti-viral drugs, collapsed under the weight of demand immediately after being launched yesterday.

The pandemic flu service site received more than nine million visits an hour - or 2,600 a second - after being activated at 3pm, the Department of Health said.

Visitors attempting to have their symptoms assessed were directed to a holding page.It said: "The service is currently very busy and cannot deal with your request at this time. Please try again in a little while.