Health chief raps 'wonder' flu jab

Dr Stephen Morton, director of public health at East Lancashire Health Authority, said zanamir (Relenza) would be difficult to administer and had few advantages for patients.

But experts at the National Prescribing Centre, which advises the health service on new treatments and good prescribing practices, said availability of the drug could "increase expectation dramatically" among patients with 'flu.

And as the drug costs £24 a dose demand could send the health authorities budget through the roof.

Dr Morton said: "It is a worry if we are faced with a 'flu epidemic but in those circumstances I would expect GPs to explain to patients about this drug and resist demands to prescribe it. "The problem with the drug is that it must be administered within 30 hours of a patients contracting 'flu but most people do not know they have the virus within that time. If we give it to everyone who has 'flu like symptoms we could be faced with the situation of giving it to 1,000 people where only one or two have 'flu.

"That is bad medical practice as far as I am concerned because this drug could have side effects and we are not in the practice of giving people medicine they don't need."

Dr Morton said that although the new drug was no substitute for the traditional 'flu jab it could be helpful for people of working age as it reduces the amount of time spent suffering the disease by 24 hours.

He went on: "I can see that it could be attractive to employers who will have people off for one day instead of two but East Lancashire Health Authority concentrates on protecting people who's lives are at threat from the disease.

"Anyone of working age who contracts 'flu will be indisposed but they will not die from it and I hope GPs will resist the demands to prescribe it."

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