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Study: Flu May Be Resistant To Tamiflu
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CBS
Some doctors are skeptical about the results of a study that say the latest strain of flu is resistant to one of the nation's most effective medications.
Dennis Edwards reports the flu strain raising eyebrows is called H1N1.
In Hawaii, Texas and 10 other states, federal health officials say it's shown a resistance to a normally effective antiviral called Tamiflu that's in pill form and the inhaler Zanamivir. The drug works best when taken two days into the flu.
"The problem is the results are early, based on a small sample. And as the samples come in we're very early in the flu season. This may in fact bear to be true or bear not to be true. It's too early to tell," said Dr. Mark Leavey, specialist in internal medicine.
Dr. Leavey says Tamiflu is clearly the most effective anti-flu medication, but he'd like to wait a while before concluding H1N1 is totally Tamiflu resistant.
Although doctors challenge these findings they still consider them a valuable tool for hospitals and medical institutions to use to help track this potentially deadly disease.
Each year, the flu puts 200,000 people in the hospital. At least 36,000 die. The elderly, young children and the chronically ill are most at risk. Despite all of the early warnings about Tamiflu and H1N1, Dr. Leavey believes flu shots are still the best protection.
"This year the flu vaccine appears to be very effective. It really hits all those rides of flu which the Tamiflu may not be treating. So the real answer, of course, is make sure you've had your flu vaccine and if you haven't had it yet it's probably not to late to get it," said Dr. Leavey.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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