Ministers ignored Tamiflu fears

There are fears Tamiflu could become 'useless' by the autumn

Swine flu could develop resistance to Tamiflu because of the Government's haste in distributing the antiviral drug, according to its expert panel.

It was claimed today that ministers ignored Department of Health advisers who wanted the public to take paracetamol once it became clear the outbreak was mild.

Advisers say the Government forged ahead with mass prescription, fearing the public would be angry if they were told that millions of Tamiflu doses were being held in storage.

Professor Robert Dingwall, a member of the committee on ethical aspects of pandemic influenza, said: "It was felt ... it would simply be unacceptable to the UK population to tell them we had a huge stockpile of drugs but they were not going to be made available."

He said there were talks with the DoH and Health Protection Agency about whether to advise people to treat themselves with paracetamol and ibuprofen.

The panel, set up at the request of the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, decided to offer antivirals to at-risk patients or those with underlying conditions. It also wanted to Government to explain that there was no cure for flu.

Yesterday one of Britain's most respected flu experts called for the national swine flu helpline to be shut amid fears that Tamiflu could become "useless" by the autumn.

Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor at Aberdeen University, said: "I am concerned about the vast amount of Tamiflu going out almost unregulated.

"We are increasing the possibility that the flu will become resistant sooner or later. At the moment there is no desperate need for Tamiflu."

A DoH spokeswoman said: "There is still doubt about how swine flu affects people - a safety-first approach is the best approach. This means offering antivirals when required."

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