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Swine influenza

Officials Destroy '2m Stockpile of 'Outdated' Swine Flu Drug Tamiflu

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Concerns over the swine flu pandemic are growing, with the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) forced to destroy a large stockpile of anti-viral drugs due to their expiration dates. Meanwhile, the Department of Health warns that up to one million people could fall ill with the flu this winter. As the situation unfolds, officials are advising the public to take precautions, but to only seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.

Key Takeaways:

  • The HSE must destroy €2m worth of outdated Tamiflu stock due to its expiration dates, which is 5 years old.
  • The Department of Health warns that up to one million people could fall ill with the flu this winter.
  • The HSE has enough Tamiflu to cover 57% of the population, but officials are concerned about the availability of the vaccine.
  • Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan warns that the production of the vaccine is not meeting demand.
  • A new study suggests that the current estimates of swine flu mortality rates may be flawed.
  • Experts estimate that the death rate from swine flu in the UK and US is 0.5%, or 5 deaths per 1,000 people infected.
  • The Imperial College London study found that the true mortality rate may be underestimated or overestimated due to factors such as underreporting of cases.
  • Many private firms in Ireland are taking a wait-and-see approach before developing contingency plans to maintain their businesses in the event of widespread absenteeism.
  • The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) and IBEC have posted checklists and resources on their websites to assist member companies.

Statistics:

  • €2m worth of outdated Tamiflu stock must be destroyed by the HSE.
  • The Department of Health estimates that up to 1 million people could fall ill with the flu this winter.
  • The HSE has enough Tamiflu to cover 57% of the population.
  • 5 years ago, the HSE purchased the outdated Tamiflu stock.
  • The UK and US estimate a swine flu mortality rate of 0.5% (5 deaths per 1,000 people infected).
  • 7.7 million vaccine doses have been ordered.
  • The Imperial College London study suggests that the true mortality rate may be underestimated or overestimated.

Sources:

  • "Officials destroy '€2m stockpile of 'outdated' swine flu drug Tamiflu" - The Irish Independent
  • "BMA guidance on swine flu" - British Medical Association (unspecified date)
  • "Pandemic checklist" - IBEC (unspecified date)
  • "Guidance on swine flu" - Irish Health Service Executive (unspecified date)

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