Independent Medical Advisers

A pandemic is an illness that sweeps across the whole world.

There were three influenza pandemics in the 20th century. (Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918. Asian Flu Pandemic in 1957. Hong Kong Flu Pandemic in 1968).

An outbreak of pandemic influenza would have grave consequences both for individuals and companies. The symptoms of influenza are well known and include sore throat, raised temperature and generalised body pains. It is suspected that these symptoms will be much more severe in the case of a pandemic. The disease causes fatalities. The 1918 pandemic killed more people than were killed on both sides in both World Wars put together. The three pandemics in the 20th century are thought to have caused 53 million deaths.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes six phases of pandemic influenza, which relate to the increasing public health risk associated with a pandemic threat. (See WHO website www.who.int ).

We are currently at "Phase 6".
The supply of Tamiflu is indicated when "Phase 4" is reached.

IMA can help to set up a Medical Intervention Plan for companies to include: -

Tamiflu is a prescription only medicine, manufactured by ROCHE. It is the drug of choice for the World Health Organisation (WHO). The British Government has stockpiled more than 20 million treatment courses. It is a drug that attacks the influenza virus and can be used to counter an attack of influenza or as a prophylactic course. A prophylatic course involves taking one 75mg capsule daily for six weeks. A treatment course involves taking two 75mg capsules daily for five days after symptoms begin, or after significant contact with the disease.

What is Tamiflu® (oseltamivir) and what does it do?

Tamiflu: an introduction

Tamiflu® (oseltamivir) is an antiviral prescription only medicine used in the treatment and prevention of influenza. Tamiflu is designed to be active against all human influenza viruses that cause symptoms.
Tamiflu belongs to a group of medicines called neuraminidase inhibitors. These medicines are designed to specifically target the influenza virus and prevent viral replication inside the body. Neuraminidase inhibitors have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of influenza. Tamiflu has also been shown to be effective in the prevention of influenza.
Tamiflu is available in capsules. An oral suspension formulation is also available that can be easily administered to children and/or for patients that may have difficulty swallowing capsules. Paediatric capsules are also available.

Tamiflu® – its role in a pandemic

Tamiflu is an antiviral drug, produced by Roche that is being stockpiled by UK governments for use in the event of an influenza pandemic.
The Department of Health has ordered a stockpile of more than 20 million treatment courses of Tamiflu as part of the UK’s pandemic plan.
You will be advised by IMA about how to use Tamiflu that has been prescribed for you and, if applicable, your family.

WILL A PANDEMIC OCCUR SOON?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the body responsible for international influenza surveillance and planning, the definition of an influenza pandemic is when the following three criteria have been met:

A new influenza virus strain has emerged
The influenza virus has spread to humans
The transmission of the influenza virus is highly infectious and spreads efficiently, sustainably and easily within the human population (transmission from human-to- human).

World Health Organisation – phases of pandemic alert

WHO uses a series of six phases of pandemic alert as a system for informing the world of the seriousness of the threat and of the need to launch progressively more intense preparedness activities.

To date, there is some concern that the avian H5N1 influenza strain may be a candidate strain that may mutate into a human transmissible strain resulting in an influenza pandemic. But we are not there yet. The WHO defines that we are in phase 3, where phase 6 is defined as a full blown influenza pandemic, and phase 4 is when Tamiflu will be distributed.

Past pandemics; when will the next one happen?

Influenza pandemics in the twentieth century were associated with high morbidity, a large number of deaths and significant social and economic disruption:

1918 ‘Spanish flu’ A (H1N1) caused in excess of 40 million deaths worldwide (pre-antibiotic era)
1957 ‘Asian flu’ A (H2N2) caused 1 million deaths worldwide
1968 ‘Hong Kong flu’ A caused 800,000 deaths worldwide in six weeks

Experts at WHO and elsewhere believe that the world is now closer to another influenza pandemic than at any time since 1968, when the last of the previous century's three pandemics occurred.

CONTACTS: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have any further questions, that you would like answering, please contact :-

Independent Medical Advisers Ltd.
39 George Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 1PL
Telephone: (+44) 0121 689 7776 Fax: (+44) 0121 689 7766
Email: info@ima-direct.com

For further information, on influenza, pandemic influenza and avian H5N1 influenza, please review the following: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/

For further information, please review the Department of Health’s pandemic plan:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/EmergencyPlanning/PandemicFlu/fs/en

For further information on the WHO’s Pandemic Plan and the progress of countries to finalise their plans, please visit:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/

INDEPENDENT MEDICAL ADVISERS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
for the prescribing and dispensing of Tamiflu

Please click HERE

To register for your Tamiflu prescription please click on the appropriate link below: -
'Private' for individuals, 'Corporate' for members of a company scheme or 'Combined' where companies have opted for additional packages.

IMPORTANT NOTE
For both Corporate and Combined Registration it is necessary for you to log-in with the appropriate USERNAME and PASSWORD supplied by your employer.