Tamiflu May Help Children Avoid Spreading or Getting the Flu
If you have a patient with flu symptoms, prescribing Tamiflu as postexposure prophylaxis may help reduce transmission of influenza in the household.1,23
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends prophylaxis with antivirals for:
- Postexposure prophylaxis for high risk family members and close contacts of an infected individual.33
- Prevention for unvaccinated family members who are likely to have ongoing, close exposure to unvaccinated children at high risk (including infants and toddlers younger than 2 years of age).33
Indication
Tamiflu is indicated for prophylaxis of influenza in patients 1 year and older.1
About the study
Results are from a randomized, open-label, postexposure prophylaxis study in households that included children aged 1 to 12 years, both as index cases and family contacts. The primary efficacy parameter was the incidence of laboratory-confirmed clinical influenza in the household (n=201). In this study, all index cases received Tamiflu Oral Suspension 30 mg to 60 mg once daily for 10 days.
How children respond differently to the flu29
- Children can shed virus earlier, even before illness begins and for longer periods once illness starts.
- Viral shedding for up to 21 days (median 7-8 days) in children has been recorded.
Children less than 5 years of age are at high risk of serious flu-related complications.30
- On average each year, 20,000 children less than 5 years of age are hospitalized due to influenza complications.
Tamiflu has not been proven in pivotal trials to reduce mortality, hospitalization rates, or outpatient visits, nor is it a substitute for early and annual vaccination.
Prescribing Tamiflu for pediatric treatment1
Tamiflu is available in a new strength for pediatric patients. Learn more ›
Limitations of Use
The following points should be considered before initiating treatment with Tamiflu:
- Efficacy of Tamiflu in patients who begin treatment after 48 hours of symptoms has not been established.1
- Tamiflu is not a substitute for early influenza vaccination on an annual basis as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.12, 13, 18, 27
- There is no evidence for efficacy of Tamiflu in any illness caused by agents other than influenza virus Types A and B.1
- Influenza viruses change over time. Emergence of resistant mutations could decrease drug effectiveness. Other factors (for example, changes in viral virulence) might also diminish clinical benefit of antiviral drugs. Prescribers should consider available information on influenza drug susceptibility patterns and treatment effects when deciding whether to use Tamiflu.13
- Vaccination is the first line of defense against influenza. According to the CDC, antiviral medications can be effective for the prevention of influenza.12, 27
Important Safety Information
Cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and erythema multiforme have been reported in postmarketing experience with Tamiflu. Tamiflu should be stopped and appropriate treatment instituted if an allergic-like reaction occurs or is suspected.1
Please see the Tamiflu full Prescription Information for complete safety information.
Next Step: Learn about dosing and storage ›
Did you know?
In a clinical study, Tamiflu prophylaxis reduced postexposure flu transmission in children aged 1-12 years by 82%.23
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.
Important Safety Information
1TAMIFLU 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%)
Please see the TAMIFLU full Prescription Information for complete safety information.
