1-Minute Video Series
Quick, important information on influenza and TAMIFLU®
Watch Videos
Visit RocheExchange.com to access Genentech medical information and get answers to your medical inquiries.
For the latest CDC Guidelines, visit the CDC website.
Influenza Management Resources
Diagnosing, Managing and Tracking Influenza
Use the following resources to support your knowledge of influenza as part of your patient care.
Some of these resources require Adobe® Reader®. Get the free Adobe® Reader®.
Diagnosis and Management
-
Simplify prescription writing during influenza season by printing Tamiflu dosing instructions for influenza
treatment, post-exposure prophylaxis, and seasonal prophylaxis in adults and children aged 1 year and older.
-
Refresh your understanding of the benefits of Tamiflu for adults - how it can shorten the duration of the flu and help protect other family members in the house.
-
Learn how you can help shorten the duration of the flu in children, and reduce the chances of spreading the flu to family members when Tamiflu is prescribed.
-
Help your patients learn about the flu, the difference between the flu and the common cold, and tips for preventing and treating the flu.
-
A comparison of Cold vs Flu Symptoms. Help your patients understand the difference, as well as provide them with tips for prevention and treatment of the flu.
-
CDC Seasonal Influenza Site
A comprehensive collection of influenza resources for patients and healthcare professionals including patient materials and seasonal influenza guidelines.
Track the Spread of Influenza
-
FluSTAR® System for Tracking and Reporting Flu
Access to timely information about current levels of influenza circulating in the
community is a key factor in accurate early diagnosis and management of influenza. A unique,
comprehensive surveillance system, the FluSTAR System for Tracking and Reporting Flu is now available
to bring this information directly to healthcare professionals, patients and public health officials.
FluSTAR provides crucial, up-to-date information about the changing local and national status of influenza
across the country via a Web site and e-mail alerts. This module has been designed to familiarize you and
your audience with the components, operation and benefits of the FluSTAR system
Visit FluSTAR.com
Get the free Adobe® Reader®
Important Safety Information
Indications
TAMIFLU is indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza caused by viruses types A and B in patients 1 year and older who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days.
TAMIFLU is also indicated for the prophylaxis of influenza in patients 1 year and older.
Efficacy of TAMIFLU in patients who begin treatment after 48 hours of symptoms has not been established.
TAMIFLU is not a substitute for early and annual vaccination as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
There is no evidence for efficacy of TAMIFLU in any illness caused by agents other than influenza viruses Types A and B.
Influenza viruses change over time. Emergence of resistance mutations could decrease drug effectiveness. Other factors (for example, changes in viral virulence) might also diminish clinical benefits of antiviral drugs. Prescribers should consider available information on influenza drug susceptibility patterns and treatment effects when deciding whether to use TAMIFLU.
Safety Information
TAMIFLU is contraindicated in patients who have had severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis or serious skin reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or erythema multiforme to any component of TAMIFLU.
In postmarketing experience, rare cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions, including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and erythema multiforme, have been reported with TAMIFLU. Tamiflu should be stopped and appropriate treatment instituted if an allergic-like reaction occurs or is suspected.
Influenza can be associated with a variety of neurologic and behavioral symptoms, which can include events such as hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behavior, in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes. These events may occur in the setting of encephalitis or encephalopathy but can occur without obvious severe disease. There have been postmarketing reports (mostly from Japan) of delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, in patients with influenza who were receiving TAMIFLU. Because these events were reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made but they appear to be uncommon based on TAMIFLU usage data. These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. The contribution of TAMIFLU to these events has not been established. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated for each patient.
Serious bacterial infections may begin with influenza-like symptoms or may co-exist with or occur as complications during the course of influenza. TAMIFLU has not been shown to prevent such complications.
Treatment efficacy in subjects with chronic cardiac and/or respiratory disease has not been established. No difference in the incidence of complications was observed between the treatment and placebo groups in this population.
No information is available regarding treatment of influenza in patients at imminent risk of requiring hospitalization.
Efficacy of TAMIFLU has not been established in immunocompromised patients.
The concurrent use of TAMIFLU with live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) intranasal has not been evaluated. However, because of the potential for interference between these products, LAIV should not be administered within 2 weeks before or 48 hours after administration of TAMIFLU, unless medically indicated.
Adverse events that occurred more frequently in patients treated with TAMIFLU than in patients taking placebo and occurred in ≥2% of patients were (TAMIFLU%, placebo%):
- Treatment in adults – nausea (10%, 6%), vomiting (9%, 3%), bronchitis (2%, 2%)
- Treatment in pediatrics – vomiting (15%, 9%), abdominal pain (5%, 4%), epistaxis (3%, 3%), ear disorder (2%, 1%)
- Prophylaxis of adults – headache (18%, 18%), nausea (7%, 3%), diarrhea (3%, 2%), vomiting (2%, 1%), abdominal pain (2%, 1%)
- Prophylaxis of pediatrics – vomiting (10%, 2%), abdominal pain (3%, 0%), nausea (4%, 1%)