Most patients have received their flu vaccine by now. Unfortunately, it’s not a great match with the strain that is circulating now as the following article from Journal Watch outlines, but it is all we have available and offers some protection.
Flu Vaccine Not a Perfect Match to Circulating Viruses
By Kelly Young Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS Roughly half of the circulating influenza A (H3N2) viruses collected in the U.S. early this flu season are antigenically different from the H3N2 virus included in this year’s vaccine, prompting CDC officials to remind healthcare providers about using neuraminidase inhibitors to treat and prevent influenza. H3N2 has been present in about 90% of influenza-positive tests this flu season. Years with high H3N2 activity tend to see higher flu morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization recommended components for the Northern Hemisphere vaccine in February. Antigenically drifted H3N2 viruses were detected in March and became more prevalent in September, too late to change the vaccine. “They’re different enough that we’re concerned that protection from vaccination … may be lower than we usually see,” CDC Director Tom Frieden told reporters on Thursday.The CDC is still recommending that people get vaccinated against the flu because it provides partial protection and the B strains are well matched. But Frieden said that if clinicians suspect influenza in high-risk patients, they should start neuraminidase inhibitor treatment without waiting for confirmatory test results. – See more here.
I was very surprised by the recommendation of the Tamiflu-like medications (neuraminidase inhibitors) given recent articles on their lack of efficacy. Again, from Journal Watch.
Tamiflu, Relenza Data Show Little Clinical Benefit Against Flu
By Joe Elia
The neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) have only marginal benefits in the treatment and prevention of influenza, a series of BMJ articles concludes. Investigators reviewed documents submitted to regulatory agencies concerning both drugs. Tamiflu data showed it reduced symptom duration by roughly 17 hours but made no difference in hospital admissions or rates of carefully defined pneumonia. Tamiflu increased nausea and vomiting. As prophylaxis, it greatly reduced symptomatic (but not asymptomatic) cases. The Relenza analysis similarly showed a modest reduction in symptom duration (14 hours) and no effect on pneumonia. As prophylaxis, it acted like Tamiflu and had fewer side effects. Editorialists observe that the analyses show “with greater clarity than ever” that the current system for drug regulation is broken. And one commented that, given these results, “it is difficult to conceive that many patients would actively seek treatment.”. NEJM Journal Watch Infectious Diseases associate editor Stephen Baum wrote: “Clean out your medicine cabinet: these reviews call into question the drugs’ efficacy and side effects, as well as the ways in which data were selectively used to promote them.” – See more here
Still, most people who are sick would gladly shorten their sickness by 17 hours. If you have headache, fever and a cough you can call, email or text. Make sure to do it in the first 48 hours. It is not considered good medical practice to prescribe medications for people who are not your patients. It is also a big liability to prescribe drugs with potential side effects for people with whose medical history you are not familiar.. For those reasons I don’t call in Tamiflu for non patients, and recommend calling their physician.
Other News:
