THE number of people in Bolton prescribed anti-viral drugs for swine flu has dropped for the second successive week.
The seven day period ending August 9 saw 910 people given Tamiflu. That compares to 1,790 for the week before and 2,285 for the week before that.
The figures were released by NHS Bolton as Oxford University researchers said children should not be given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to combat swine flu.
They urged the Department of Health to urgently rethink its policy on giving the drugs to youngsters affected by the current flu pandemic.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, warned that Tamiflu can cause vomiting in some children, which can lead to dehydration and the need for hospital treatment. Some 300,000 people in England, including children and adults, have received courses of Tamiflu through the Government’s National Pandemic Flu Service for England.
The researchers said children should not be given the drug if they have a mild form of the illness although they urged parents and GPs to remain vigilant for signs of complications.
Symptoms of swine flu are a sudden fever and cough and others may include headache, tiredness, aching muscles, diarrhoea or stomach upset, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and loss of appetite.
The National Swine Flu Service can be contacted on 0800 1513 100 (0800 1513 200 for minicom users) or visit:www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article