Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
2010.01.12
"The head of health affairs at the European Council, Wolfgang Wodarg, accused the pharmaceutical industry of conspiracy regarding the swine flu, calling it 'a mild, fake global pandemic.'" (Photo/AP)
Many people hesitated to get the swine flu vaccine, with some even stating they would rather take Tamiflu than receive the vaccination. However, Tamiflu may not effectively reduce severe flu complications and can instead cause side effects such as dizziness, vomiting, and headaches. Wolfgang Wodarg, the head of health affairs at the European Council, even accused pharmaceutical companies of using their influence to pressure the WHO into declaring a "pandemic," leading governments to waste limited resources on a relatively minor disease. He emphasized, "This is a mild, fake global pandemic." (He said: 'We have had a mild flu - and a false pandemic.')
The main component of Tamiflu is oseltamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor that prevents infected cells from producing new viruses. Besides treating H1N1, it is also effective against avian flu and influenza types A and B. On August 15 of the previous year, the Taiwanese government fully relaxed the health insurance reimbursement standards for Tamiflu. In the UK, access to the drug was even more lenient—individuals could easily obtain it by calling a flu hotline and answering a few questions. However, according to the *Daily Mail*, only 20% of those who received Tamiflu were confirmed to have H1N1, meaning approximately 800,000 packs were misused in the UK. Sir Roy Anderson, who served as a swine flu advisor to the British government last year, was himself employed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), earning an annual salary of up to NT$5.94 million. GSK was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic.
Additionally, Japan, which consumes 80% of the world's Tamiflu, has reported multiple cases of teenagers experiencing mental disturbances and even committing suicide by jumping off buildings after taking the drug. Although Martina Rupp, a spokesperson for Roche, the Swiss manufacturer of Tamiflu, denied any link between the drug and deaths—attributing the mental issues to the flu itself—Dr. Rokuro Hama, a Japanese physician leading an organization monitoring drug side effects, stated that the incidence of such abnormal behaviors was 40% higher among those taking the drug compared to those who were restricted from it. These phenomena have also drawn the attention of the UK-based Cochrane Collaboration, a leading authority in evidence-based medicine. (Evidence-based medicine emphasizes the use of scientific evidence as the foundation for medical practice.)
The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed 20 studies on Tamiflu, but only three authors responded to their inquiries. The empirical data from these three studies were all held by the pharmaceutical companies producing Tamiflu. The conclusion that "Tamiflu reduces severe flu complications in healthy adults" was based on an analysis of 10 industry-sponsored meta-studies, eight of which had not undergone professional medical review or formal publication. Yet, this conclusion led the WHO to advise countries to stockpile Tamiflu.
The Cochrane investigation revealed that while Tamiflu can indeed shorten flu symptoms by one to two days, there is no clear or sufficient data proving it effectively prevents severe flu-related complications. "The flu is generally harmless, but complications like lung infections (pneumonia) can cause more harm."(The flu is generally harmless, but it becomes more harmful if it leads to complications, such as chest infections.) Regarding the large stockpiles of Tamiflu in various countries, many experts worry that this may trigger the H5N1 avian influenza virus and call on governments to establish research institutions to monitor the safety of "neuraminidase inhibitors."
Source: http://www. nownews. com/ n/ 2010/ 01/ 12/ 779911
Suicide from Tamiflu? EU Health Chief Calls Swine Flu A "False Pandemic"!
"The head of health affairs at the European Council, Wolfgang Wodarg, accused the pharmaceutical industry of conspiracy regarding the swine flu, calling it 'a mild, fake global pandemic.'" (Photo/AP)
Many people hesitated to get the swine flu vaccine, with some even stating they would rather take Tamiflu than receive the vaccination. However, Tamiflu may not effectively reduce severe flu complications and can instead cause side effects such as dizziness, vomiting, and headaches. Wolfgang Wodarg, the head of health affairs at the European Council, even accused pharmaceutical companies of using their influence to pressure the WHO into declaring a "pandemic," leading governments to waste limited resources on a relatively minor disease. He emphasized, "This is a mild, fake global pandemic." (He said: 'We have had a mild flu - and a false pandemic.')
The main component of Tamiflu is oseltamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor that prevents infected cells from producing new viruses. Besides treating H1N1, it is also effective against avian flu and influenza types A and B. On August 15 of the previous year, the Taiwanese government fully relaxed the health insurance reimbursement standards for Tamiflu. In the UK, access to the drug was even more lenient—individuals could easily obtain it by calling a flu hotline and answering a few questions. However, according to the *Daily Mail*, only 20% of those who received Tamiflu were confirmed to have H1N1, meaning approximately 800,000 packs were misused in the UK. Sir Roy Anderson, who served as a swine flu advisor to the British government last year, was himself employed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), earning an annual salary of up to NT$5.94 million. GSK was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic.
Additionally, Japan, which consumes 80% of the world's Tamiflu, has reported multiple cases of teenagers experiencing mental disturbances and even committing suicide by jumping off buildings after taking the drug. Although Martina Rupp, a spokesperson for Roche, the Swiss manufacturer of Tamiflu, denied any link between the drug and deaths—attributing the mental issues to the flu itself—Dr. Rokuro Hama, a Japanese physician leading an organization monitoring drug side effects, stated that the incidence of such abnormal behaviors was 40% higher among those taking the drug compared to those who were restricted from it. These phenomena have also drawn the attention of the UK-based Cochrane Collaboration, a leading authority in evidence-based medicine. (Evidence-based medicine emphasizes the use of scientific evidence as the foundation for medical practice.)
The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed 20 studies on Tamiflu, but only three authors responded to their inquiries. The empirical data from these three studies were all held by the pharmaceutical companies producing Tamiflu. The conclusion that "Tamiflu reduces severe flu complications in healthy adults" was based on an analysis of 10 industry-sponsored meta-studies, eight of which had not undergone professional medical review or formal publication. Yet, this conclusion led the WHO to advise countries to stockpile Tamiflu.
The Cochrane investigation revealed that while Tamiflu can indeed shorten flu symptoms by one to two days, there is no clear or sufficient data proving it effectively prevents severe flu-related complications. "The flu is generally harmless, but complications like lung infections (pneumonia) can cause more harm."(The flu is generally harmless, but it becomes more harmful if it leads to complications, such as chest infections.) Regarding the large stockpiles of Tamiflu in various countries, many experts worry that this may trigger the H5N1 avian influenza virus and call on governments to establish research institutions to monitor the safety of "neuraminidase inhibitors."
Source: http://www. nownews. com/ n/ 2010/ 01/ 12/ 779911