# 519
Ok, maybe it's not the end of the world, but three years after the resurgence of bird flu, headline writers apparently still don't know the difference between an anti-viral and a vaccine.
Sigh.
This from the Sydney Morning Herald.
Bird flu vaccine linked to 18 teenage suicides in Japan
Justin Norrie in Tokyo
March 1, 2007
JAPANESE health authorities are investigating a flu medicine that is also available in Australia after a teenager jumped 11 storeys to his death after taking the drug. It was the 18th juvenile fatality linked to Tamiflu in 17 months.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has asked the Japanese importer of Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug regarded as the most important shield against bird flu in humans, to collect information about the conditions of patients who take the drug.
The 14-year-old boy's death follows a similar case two weeks ago, when a girl also 14, died after jumping from an apartment building at Gamagori, in central Japan.
It also comes after a warning by the US Food and Drug Administration late last year about the dangers of giving children Tamiflu. The drug is being stockpiled in Australia as the first line of defence against bird flu. In Australia, as in Japan, it is only available by prescription.
The Swiss manufacturer, Roche, says the rate of deaths and psychiatric disturbances among people taking its medication is no higher than for flu sufferers generally. It denies there is evidence of a direct correlation between the drug and the fatalities.
As to the rest of the story, whether Tamiflu is dangerous or not, the answer is obvious.
ALL DRUGS ARE DANGEROUS
The question is, are the dangers outweighed by the benefits? That is the standard by which all drugs are measured.
A few months ago, a young lady died after partaking in a radio station contest here in the states, one where contestants were challenged to drink as much water as possible without needing a bathroom break. That's right, she died of over-hydration.
Common, over the counter medications like Ibuprofen have been linked to heart problems. Every year, hundreds of people have anaphylactic reactions to antibiotics, and some of these people die. There isn't a medication or drug out there that is totally benign.
Perhaps we will discover at some point that Tamiflu's risks are higher than currently thought. That happens. Drugs are frequently either pulled from the market, or have new warnings added to their labels, years after their general release because we learn there may be a problem.
What we do know, today, is that millions of people have taken Tamiflu without incident, and only a relatively small handful of problems have been reported.
Obviously, people should be aware of the risks, and know to look for signs of a problem when taking, or administering any drug. Tamiflu is no different.
But given the high mortality rate of the H5N1 virus, and the low incidence of problems with Tamiflu, personally, I'll take my chances with the treatment if it is available.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
